Alabaster Orchestra
by Dell Hopkins
Summary: "SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE!"
1. Introduction, Index

"SCIENCE!"

* * *

_**Hello**_.

Thank you for taking the time to choose this story out of the many out there. Before you proceed, allow me to tell you that **the description is irrelevant to the story itself**. Apologizes! Below you will find an index of the chapters with the characters that appear in them. Just in case you were looking for parts that are more focused on certain individuals. Know that this story is my **re-imagining of the final arc**, so naturally it will break from canon and allow for exploration of alternative events.

_That'll be the funnest part of this entire endeavor... I would like to apologize ahead of time for any grammar mistakes you might find. I try to constantly scan through the chapters, always looking for them, but there are always a few mistakes that manage evade my eyes._

_**-Dell Hopkins**_

…_And if you have the time, I appreciate reviews. Thank you._

_1/11/2014 Those of you who have been following the story may have noticed that the description is subject to change. This is because I cannot really think of a proper one at this time. Therefore, I will keep changing it, usually when I'm going to update._

* * *

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the series Bleach. It belongs to the talented Kubo Tite.**_

**Overture I (Chapter One)** - Asguiaro Ebern, Jugram Haschwalth, Yhwach, Giselle Gewelle, Mask De Masculine, Askin Nakk Le Varr,

**Overture II (Chapter Two)** - Asguiaro Ebern, Shino, Ryūnosuke Yuki, Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryū Ishida, Yhwach, Jugram Haschwalth,

**Overture III (Chapter Three)** - Bambietta Basterbine, Äs Nödt, Ichigo Kurosaki, Ryūnosuke Yuki, Askin Nakk Le Varr, Driscoll Berci, Chōjirō Sasakibe, Luders Friegen, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Asguiaro Ebern, Byakuya Kuchiki,

**Overture IV (Chapter Four)** - Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Uryū Ishida, Yasutora Sado, Ryūnosuke Yuki, Shino, Yhwach, Asguiaro Ebern, Luders Friegen, Bambietta Basterbine, Giselle Gewelle, Candice Catnipp, Liltotto Lamperd, Meninas McAllon, Renji Abarai, Byakuya Kuchiki, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Jugram Haschwalth,

**Unison I (Chapter Five)** - Izuru Kira, Äs Nödt, Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Cang Du, Byakuya Kuchiki, Bazz-B, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto, Jugram Haschwalth, Yhwach (Royd Lloyd),

**Unison II (Chapter Six)** - Rukia Kuchiki, Äs Nödt, Yhwach, Sōsuke Aizen, Bambietta Basterbine, Renji Abarai, Cang Du, Byakuya Kuchiki, Mask de Masculine

**Serenata (Chapter Seven)** - Ichigo Kurosaki, Sōsuke Aizen, Yhwach, Askin Nakk Le Varr, Rangiku Matsumoto, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Isane Kotetsu, Retsu Unohana, Momo Hinamori, Momo Hinamori, Äs Nödt, Shunsui Kyōraku, Izuru Kira, Rukia Kuchiki, Byakuya Kuchiki, Jugram Haschwalth


	2. Overture I

_**Overture I**_

_"Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise." _

_-Horace_

* * *

He barely could recollect the previous ten minutes.

The summons had arrived suddenly, giving him very little time to prepare. Despite this, Asguiario Ebern still intended to answer the call as quickly as he possibly could.

After all, Yhwach was a man who was not to be kept waiting.

As he walked down one of the many long hallways of the Wandenreich, he repeatedly gave himself numerous check overs to ensure that his person was entirely in order for his meeting with the Quincy Emperor. Such an event was seen as a privilege.

…Or dreaded depending on the context.

Ebern hoped it would be the former of the two.

He continued to make his way to the Emperor's throne room at a rapid pace, avoiding passing Soldats and various servants that also traversed the corridor. Arriving just outside his destination, he took a moment to collect himself one final time. There was a slight feeling of anxiety in his system as he stood outside where he was expected. Before proceeding through the room's magnificent double doors, Asguiario inhaled a breath slowly into his lungs before releasing it in the same fashion.

In the middle of the massive chamber, seated in a large elegant throne, his king sat with his eyes upon him. To his left, a blond much younger male stood silently. Numerous guards lined the sides of the room.

_So the grandmaster of the Stern Ritter is here as well…_

Ebern slowed his pace as he drew closer to the Wandenreich leader before stopping at the appropriate distance and dropping to one knee. He averted his gaze downward.

"I answer your call, your Majesty."

Waving a hand in response, the Quincy Emperor's voice resonated within his ears, "You have been asked here, Asguiario Ebern, because there is something that needs to be discussed. Rather, I believe there is something important that you can assist me with."

He couldn't help but be relieved at the spoken words. "My will is your command, your Majesty."

"Your loyalty is admirable," the dark haired Emperor said, chuckling slightly. "I will remember it. The task though, is a mission of observation and possibly interaction with a very special target. I'm sure you are aware of the Special War Potentials?"

"Yes, your Majesty. I have been overlooking the Daten in preparation alongside the others."

"Then you are already aware of Ichigo Kurosaki, and thus you can be spared a few unnecessary details when you receive your final briefing before being deployed. My intent is to administer a… test to this boy."

As he listened, it occurred to Ebern that this could possibly be the desired assignment he had been seeking for some time. It was to be a mission that would define him from the rest of the Arrancar Vanguard. Though the vanguard itself was regarded as being slightly higher than the ranks of the Soldats, it was rare for them to receive the respect that would be expected from their place in the hierarchy. As he had experienced on multiple occasions, his kind tended to not be treated as well as a regular Quincy.

However, if he was successful his task, he might gain enough favor to perhaps join the ranks of the Stern Ritter elite.

Then the respect he sought would come. Until such a time, the Hollow mask fragment that took space on the left side of his forehead would continue to act as a constant reminder of his position and motivate him to move forward within the empire.

_I'm not an Arrancar… I'm not._

"A test, your Majesty?"

"The results of such will possibly prove valuable and beneficial." The Quincy Emperor nodded to him. "Until then, you are dismissed Asguiario Ebern. Expect further word on the assignment in the coming days."

Ebern arose, giving a formal bow before departing from the room.

The hallway remained unchanged in appearance, but he immediately felt that something was off as he stepped out of the chamber. He cautiously avoided showing any sign that would indicate his unease, but ironically relaxed as he realized what was putting him off.

There were unseen individuals currently watching him.

It was natural that someone would be curious as to why he would be meeting with Yhwach, though Ebern continued on regardless without attempting to acknowledge their presence or trying to sense the identity of the observers.

To do nothing was probably the wisest decision, and to linger would only bring him trouble.

* * *

Emerging from where they had been observing the Arrancar discreetly, three Wandenreich members moved to the center of the hallway. One of them, a dark haired female, pouted as she watched the retreating form of Ebern.

"Why would his Majesty want to talk to him? I mean, surely if it was really important, he'd talk to a Stern Ritter?" She sighed before looking to the smaller of the two men next to her. "Askin?"

He shrugged in response before returning his arms to their original position of being crossed over his chest. "Don't know what to tell you Giselle. His Majesty's business is his own. Just make sure it doesn't get around to Bazz-B… And that circle of women you associate with."

This brought a chuckle from the other man, and he added, "I agree. Bambietta can be irrational in her own right, and it'll save some young man from becoming a victim of 'personal' time with her."

Giselle huffed, and looked up at his mustached features. "I suppose so, Mister Mask…" She suddenly smiled. "I guess we should pretend that we never saw this?"

Askin gave a nod. "Exactly, now if you both don't mind, I think I'll rest a bit. I imagine that once we begin to mobilize again that activity will become a luxury." He gave an over dramatized yawn to emphasize his statement.

The other Quincy left with him, leaving the dark haired girl alone as she headed in a separate direction. She made a mental note that despite them all agreeing not to speak of what they had seen, she would still tease a fellow female Wandenreich member that she had a secret. Candy tended to be rather easy to annoy, and this would bring her a few laughs from the other Stern Ritter's displeasure.

Giselle's thoughts turned to how she should begin as she continued on.


	3. Overture II

**_Overture II_**

_"Remember tonight… for it is the beginning of always." _

_-Dante Alighieri_

* * *

_Crsskkk…_

The coin shaped object emitted an empty crack as it turned to dust between his fingers, and Ebern watched the remains disappear into the night air. After all of it had completely vanished, he hastily relocated himself to a more secluded spot near where he had been positioned.

The Hollow Bait, as he had been instructed, would be fast acting.

They had emphasized that it held enough potency to draw out all the Hollows within a several mile radius. Thus Ichigo Kurosaki was most definitely going to respond to the large influx of horrors that was now on its way. Ebern would then begin the first part of his assignment, which was just simple observation of the boy.

He patiently waited in the shadows, hidden in one of alleys of Karakura Town. After a few minutes, the first of the nightmarish entities began to show up in the area. Hollows, he idly noted, tended to always hold a repulsive look until they achieved their later forms. Even though they could achieve sizes comparable to that of a residential house, the caliber of power between him and them was significantly different. His time in the Wandenreich had went on to separate it even further.

There was a sudden movement on a nearby rooftop, and Ebern turned his attention to it. The Hollows also seemed to have taken noticed, and they began to congregate towards it. Perhaps Kurosaki had arrived sooner than he had anticipated.

However, though he spotted the robes of a Shinigami, it appeared that it was not the boy who had turned up.

Instead, Ebern saw that it was a young Soul Reaper woman. He watched her as she spotted the approaching monstrosities and chuckled at her reaction. It was clear that she was not experienced in the slightest. Most likely she was an initiate who had the misfortune of patrolling on this night.

The girl yelled out, her face a portrait of growing terror. He saw her take several frantic swipes at one of the monsters. It was enough to make it move back enough for her to retreat, but he knew that they would trap her in a short amount of time.

It was possible the woman's distress would bring out Kurosaki quicker, though Ebern doubted the notion that she would survive until his arrival.

He watched on with minor interest.

* * *

Her body was in full panic as she took several slashes at the beast in front of her.

Though Shino knew that Karakura tended to have a higher rate of Hollow appearances, the large amount that was now currently surrounding her was more than she had expected on her first night as the town's new Shinigami Resident.

The Hollow that she had been striking with her Zanpakutō moved back, allowing the two near it to take its place. Behind her she heard the sounds of another one of the monsters climbing over the edge of the building.

The situation was becoming increasingly suicidal.

Furthermore, Ryūnosuke Yuki, her partner, was nowhere to be seen even though Shino admitted that the two of them had little chance of holding their own against this amount of enemies.

Especially since he wasn't a very capable Soul Reaper…

This in mind, she decided that she needed to act instead of remaining on defense. With a battle cry, she turned and charged the Hollow behind her. She jumped up, cutting it vertically down its masked face. It cried out, and began to fall back over the ledge to the street below.

A small smile took her face, and she turned to confront the other two that were now advancing on her. If she were careful, she could focus her efforts on a single Hollow at a time. Perhaps she could pull off two, but she was well aware that she couldn't fight them all. Her personal goal in the situation had turned from defeating them to just simply holding them off. If she could do so long enough, then there was a high chance that reinforcements would arrive in the form of-

A large fist slammed into her back and sent her sprawling forward.

The ground cracked, and Shino found that she could barely move after the large impact. She managed to move her head enough to see that she had been attacked by the Hollow that she had believed defeated.

It glared at her with hunger in its eyes.

Something warm, she reasoned it was most likely her blood, ran down the side of her body. The single strike had severely injured her, and regardless of her attempts to get up off the ground, her body refused to respond.

One of the monstrosities reached out towards her as her eyelids began to feel heavy and slowly drop. It was also then that she realized that someone was calling out to her from nearby.

"Shino! Shino, I found one!"

_Ryūnosuke..._ He was entirely unaware of the danger he was about to run into.

The Hollow lifted her up in its grasp, and Shino's consciousness left her as she heard her partner round the corner to where she and the other Hollows were.

She hadn't even been able to warn him.

* * *

_Stupid boy…_

He had completely forgotten about the Hollow that had been pursuing him, and it had cost him dearly.

Ebern had watched the monster raise its spider like appendage to strike, and then it was over in an instance. He had disappeared from view, and the Hollows began to close in on both the Shinigami in order to feed.

The entire display had been dull on both their parts, and he waited for the sound of flesh being torn from their corpses. However, it never came as two of the monsters were split in half with a single strike from an unknown assailant. He immediately focused his full attention on the rooftop as he saw a streak of orange hair.

Ichigo Kurosaki had finally arrived, and it appeared that the information that Ebern had received was correct as the bodies of the Hollows dissipated. The boy truly was as skilled as his Majesty had said, though he personally hadn't doubted it for a moment.

His Majesty's word was law after all.

The Arrancar then noticed that the Substitute Soul Reaper wasn't alone on the rooftop, and saw three other figures alongside him. Though each of them was unique in appearance in some aspect, his attention was drawn to a raven haired teenager.

A name flickered into his mind from his time studying the Daten. This individual must have been the Quincy of Karakura Town, Uryū Ishida, who ironically was friends with Kurosaki. Ebern made a mental note to bring up his appearance on the report.

It took not five minutes for Ichigo and his companions to subdue the Hollows, and Ebern figured that if either of the fallen Shinigami still breathed, the group would then attend to them.

He gave a final glance at the orange haired boy before walking deeper into the alleyway and disappearing.

* * *

In the Wandenreich, there existed a unique method of transportation that was considered a privilege to be allowed free usage over. When described, "Shadows" or "His Majesty's Shadow", was best compared to being engulfed in one's own silhouette. For a few brief moments there would come complete darkness before the shroud opened up to the desired destination that user sought.

The reishi energy could also be made into a form that allowed the travel of multiple individuals simultaneously at the cost of activation speed. In this manner, it behaved similar to a tunnel that simply needed to be walked into. The outside observer, unless entering themselves, would only see it as a mass of blackness.

The shadows faded, revealing to Ebern the familiar details of the Quincy's base of operations. Once more he found himself in front of the doors to the throne room where two soldiers stood at attention. It appeared that he was once more being expected.

Entering without hesitation, he saw that Yhwach was indeed once more awaiting him and he acknowledged his leader with a respectful bow before dropping to one knee as he had done before. His leader commanded him to proceed with the report, and he began to do so.

"As ordered, I deployed the Hollow Bait in the area I had that had been designated to me. After about five minutes the first of the Hollows began to appear before more began to arrive. It was then that I expected Ichigo Kurosaki to appear at any minute, but instead a young Shinigami woman appeared and then a male who I assumed to be her partner."

"How did they fair against the growing number?"

"Not well, your Majesty," Ebern answered. "It was obvious that they were inexperienced in fighting against the Hollows. They barely lasted long enough for Kurosaki to arrive and possibly rescue them with his companions. Just as the Daten states, Kurosaki appears to be as powerful as we judged him to be."

"I see," Yhwach gave a smile. "Then the first part of your assignment is complete, Asguiaro Ebern. Are there any other details of the observation I should be aware of?"

_The dark haired Quincy male..._"Your Majesty, I was also able to witness Uryū Ishida in combat with the Hollows and saw that he too dispatches them rather easily."

Unlike the primary target of observation, Ebern recalled that there was little mention of Ishida's degree of power in the Daten. "If it is acceptable with his Majesty, might I enquire Uryū Ishida's significance to the empire if any?"

"All that needs to be said is that we are already aware of him." The Quincy Emperor gave him a nod. "You are dismissed until further notice, Ebern."

Standing quickly, Ebern gave the expected formal bow before exiting the room.

Admittedly, there were a few questions still occupying his mind about the Ishida boy. In spite of this, he decided that he would instead focus on acquiring some rest before it came time again for him to depart and carry out the even more vital phase of his assignment.

* * *

Yhwach continued to stare at the closed throne room door before letting out a sigh.

"What is your opinion on the Arrancar Vanguard, Haschwalth?"

The blond Quincy came forward into the light, his face expressionless.

"They serve purpose."

A chuckle escaped his lips at the words of his subordinate. "An answer I would expect from only you. Nonetheless, I will have to agree with it."

"The Stern Ritter are beginning to wonder when the order to strike Soul Society will come, your Majesty." Haschwalth looked to him. "What shall I tell them?"

"So anxious to serve their king's will," he said with a smile. "Inform them that the declaration will be sent very shortly. With that, you may go Haschwalth."

After dismissing his follower, Yhwach was left alone in his majestic throne room. Hanging braziers containing reishi fire illuminated the chamber partially, but much of it still remained hidden from his eyes, but not his senses. He leaned back in his chair, using the solitude to enter a state of meditation that had become increasingly common since he had awakened and re-assumed control of his empire.

A millennium of being comatose had done little in extinguishing the hatred that burned in his blood for the Shinigami.

They had been forced into retreat all those years ago, crippled by his incapacitation as well as the loss of so many of their number. The concept of extinction was radical, but at that time, it seemed to be a very frightening possibility. However, it had never come to pass and they had lived on in a shattered state that had slowly been mending itself over the past thousand years. His subordinates though, they would never know how the genocide had affected him personally.

In the silence there would come the screams and faces of the fallen. They were memories of the past, phantoms in his mind that would manifest as he slipped into the tragic events.

Had he been made somewhat insane from these constant hauntings?

It could be argued by a few of his behaviors. Perhaps he did hold a recklessness in regards to certain things, an apathy towards what he deemed unimportant in others. In the end though, despite the negatives, Yhwach was continuously to be driven in his struggle against Shinigami, and their leader, the Soul King.

There would be no falling back this time, and no wasted years of recuperating. They would finally emerge the victors in this long conflict.

Maybe then, and only then, the screams would stop, and his ghosts would finally have found rest.

Then perhaps the hatred would leave him.


	4. Overture III

**_Overture III_**

_"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."_

_-Mae West_

* * *

Bambietta Basterbine growled in frustration as she recalled the events of the previous day.

_The declaration of war will be sent soon? Well that's hardly an answer!_

Upon receiving this news from Haschwalth, she had immediately inquired further for any additional details on the time frame for the invasion of Soul Society. Much to her annoyance, the leader of the Stern Ritter had informed her that there were none to be given. Additionally he hadn't even been able to tell her if a single individual or a group was being sent to carry out the task.

So much for getting information from the grandmaster himself…

She kept her eyes peeled for any Soldat groups that were passing through the hallway, an urge to vent her irritation as she did typically arising within in her. When one did enter her vision, she immediately singled out the most attractive member and began her approach. They looked at her, obviously confused at why one of the Stern Ritter would be approaching them. She pointed to the male she had picked, and said with command, "You, to my room, now soldier."

This flustered the young man, who stammered out "Y-your room, ma'am?"

She nodded in response, and he looked to the other Soldats before following her with something of a half-anxious, half-eager look forming on his face.

His misconception of what was to come next would prove to be fatal.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them both, a figure with phantom like features had witnessed these events unfold.

Äs Nödt chuckled with amusement as he watched the young soldier follow the dark haired woman.

Poor, poor boy… He had no idea what was in store for him. Those in charge of sanitation would once more begin to gripe about the habit of the Stern Ritter 'E'.

It was no secret among the Quincy elite what went on when she went back to her room with one of the Soldats. After all, a few of them had even commented on the behavior, but in the end just allowed the girl to go about her business.

With that thought in mind, Äs Nödt decided to continue on his way, once more slipping out of the sight of any on lookers.

* * *

Ichigo sighed as he looked at the unconscious form of Ryūnosuke.

Why did they always have to stay at his house? And what's more, why did they have to always use his bed?!

Ever since becoming a Substitute Shinigami, his home had always been subject to occupation by various members of the Gotei Thirteen. Though Rukia had been the only one to that he had actually given his consent to take up residence, the frequent visits of the other Soul Reapers were vastly annoying to contend with. Now, once again, he had a Shinigami visitor within his house.

According to Orihime, despite being fully healed, Ryūnosuke's body for some reason was extremely fatigued. His partner, Shino, had remarked that the idiot should have gotten some sleep before they had arrived in Karakura. Thus Ichigo was stuck with him at his house until he woke up, while Shino was staying with Orihime. He had no problem with that of course, as the majority of woman who were in his life tended to cause him trouble.

Then his father would get himself involved in the matter and voice his own opinion…

With no sign of his non-volunteered charge stirring, Ichigo ultimately decided he would go out on a walk as he had been doing the past couple of evenings.

Despite assurances from the Soul Society that his patrols would no longer be required, he had held serious doubt in his mind. It seemed he had been right when the two new Shinigami representatives had been overwhelmed by the large group of Hollows on their first night on duty.

That _unnaturally_ large group of Hollows.

_Perhaps_, he thought to himself, _it would be wise to give the spot of the attack a look over for anything out of the ordinary._

* * *

The corpse of the young soldier fell to the floor as Bambietta looked on.

Feeling more at ease, she moved her hand upwards to fix her uniform which was in a state that partially exposed the tops of her breasts.

So eager they always were, and it was this distraction which made their end come so much swifter. Afterwards, she would give the order for her quarters to be cleaned of the mess. Those in charge of the task would do so silently. She uncrossed her legs and stood up, only to be stopped by a knock on the door before she could enter the inner part of her suite.

The Stern Ritter "D", Askin Nakk Le Vaar, leaned on one of her doors, an eyebrow raised.

"You really should stop this habit of yours. I think it borders on psychotic."

"I don't think it's your place to judge me," she responded expressionlessly.

He looked at her for another moment before shrugging. "Oh well, was worth a try. Come, his Majesty needs us."

Without waiting for her, he began to walk away from her room. She quickly put on her boots before going to catch up with him.

"What do you mean by that?"

Askin looked at her out of the corner of his eye for a moment. "If you recall, Haschwalth gave us all news that the declaration of war was to be sent soon. Well, we're about to find out more about that." He paused before saying to her, "Now that I think about it, that's probably why you have a dead Soldat in your room. Regardless, you and I have been chosen to be a part of the group that will give the declaration."

This statement brought Bambietta some excitement, and she voiced a question that she still needed to be answered. "Who will be giving it exactly?"

"Some Arrancar."

She paused, disbelief entering her voice. "What?"

Askin halted as well, looking back at her. "Hm?"

"An Arrancar? Out of everyone, his Majesty picked an Arrancar!?"

The other Stern Ritter stared at her as if she was crazy. It made her even angrier when he simply replied, "Yes?"

A growl, not unlike the one from earlier, emerged from her. "What the hell do you mean by 'yes'?! Don't you have a problem with some Hollow giving the Wandenreich's message instead of a Quincy?!"

"Why? Less effort on our part, besides, his Majesty knows what he's doing, and we'll still be there. Bambietta, you always have a problem with something. If it's not one thing, it's something else entirely."

She scoffed in return to this.

"Trust his Majesty's decision, Bambietta."

He irked her with his apathetic attitude towards just about everything, but there was some meaning in his words. Without speaking, she began to follow the other Stern Ritter once again.

She would be composed about the issue… for now.

* * *

Blood spewed from the mouth of the soul reaper as he hit the ground.

The Stern Ritter, encouraged by the display of gore, lifted the injured man into the air once more, who was now coughing in agony.

Driscoll Berci, appropriately given the title of 'The Overkill', reveled in what he would describe as a divinely given task.

Dropping the man to the floor, Driscoll's foot shot out and connected with his side. Bones cracked, sending him sprawling away, and he chuckled.

"If the pain is not too much, focus on my words, Vice-Captain. What you experience now is only a fraction of the suffering that will come to Soul Society once we begin."

Chōjirō Sasakibe began to slowly raise himself up to his feet, breathing heavily all the while staring at him. He adjusted himself to an offensive stance, or at least as much as his injuries allowed.

"I swore on my life… that I would loyally defend the Captain-Commander… until my… my last breath."

Driscoll smirked and reached onto his person as Chōjirō spoke what he had been eagerly awaiting.

* * *

They proceeded towards the Captain-Commander's office with a complete lack of difficulty. What resistance they did encounter was quickly cut down, getting only a few feet near them before meeting their demise.

Askin, stepping over the mutilated upper torso of one of the slain Soul Reapers, concluded that the Vice-Captain had perhaps been the greatest threat besides the Captain-Commander himself.

It was another situation in which the circumstances were to his liking.

The Arrancar, Luders Friegen, walked confidently at their lead, only striking out of any Shinigami that were directly in front of him.

Why wouldn't he? He had been chosen by his Majesty for the verbal part of the declaration, and the Stern Ritter chosen for the assignment had been ordered to guard him. As such, he was expecting that no harm was to come to him though Bambietta had been less then pleased with this news, but it wasn't a surprise with how she had been acting after being informed the exact details of their objective on the previous day.

The female Stern Ritter would probably just love to let a single blade 'accidentally' slip past her and get at the Arrancar. The only thing that saved him was probably the fact that he did not possess Quincy Blut, and such a surprise might be fatal.

Though the chances of Luders being unable to defend himself were rather small, and thus the scenario seemed borderline ridiculous when thought about.

_Better safe than sorry_, Askin mused.

They arrived at the Captain-Commander's office to find him waiting across the room along with several of the soul reapers who had opted to retreat, or rather, flee from the Stern Ritter onslaught. While they looked panicked, the old man's calm appearance reflected in his voice as he asked, "Who are you?"

"Our identities need not be said, as you know who we are. We are here… to declare war on you."

There came a loud crash as the wall to the Stern Ritters' left broke open to have a battered Shinigami come through impaled on a reishi arrow the size of a spear. Driscoll stepped through the shattered gap a moment later.

"It seems your vice-captain will be joining us," Luders commented with heavy amusement.

* * *

The setting sun's light upon him, Ebern examined the medallion he held in his right hand as he stood with his back against a wall.

It was such a small object, yet it would serve as the important cornerstone in his final objective concerning the Substitute Shinigami. The medallion itself was relatively bland, the only significant detail being the Wandenreich symbol on both of its almost fragile like surfaces. Such as deceiving appearances went though, it held an unseen power.

It would allow the Arrancar to steal the teenager's Bankai.

His senses picked up the designated target drawing near, and he replaced the medallion back onto his person just as the orange haired male stepped into view. Upon seeing him, he stopped immediately.

The first words between them were spoken by Ebern. "Ichigo Kurosaki, I extend my greetings to you."

Scowling in response, the teenager glanced around as if expecting to get assaulted at that very moment. "If you're here to avenge Aizen, now isn't a good time."

_Aizen?_

"You're an Arrancar aren't you? That's a Hollow mask on your face."

Ebern remained quiet for a moment before narrowing his eye. "I'm not an Arrancar."

Another brief silence passed with Ichigo giving him a questioning look. Finally, he emerged from his mortal body, it falling backwards behind him as he now stood in his Shinigami form.

"As I said before, this isn't a good time to do whatever it is you are here to do."

Ebern chuckled, and they both leapt into the air. His Quincy cross fell around his wrist, and he formed his massive reishi bow. The Substitute Shinigami was taken aback by its sudden appearance, and he smirked. "…What's the matter? Do you recognize this from somewhere, Kurosaki?"

He fired several shots from barrels similar to those of cannons, forcing Ichigo to move himself away some distance from where they detonated. It occurred to him that the teenager's earlier glance had been to see if there were any bystanders nearby before they had engaged in combat. Additionally, their current location could also be due to him taking possible collateral damage into account.

_How considerate_, Ebern mused as he continued to shoot at the Soul Reaper.

Though he saw that Ichigo was attempting to draw closer in order to strike with his sword, the Arrancar knew that his continuous attacks would keep him away for now. At the battle's current pace, the teenager would not make any progress.

Perhaps he could be goaded, thus speeding up the inevitable ending to their struggle.

"What's the matter Kurosaki? Just dodging? Is that the only thing you can do?!"

Ebern moved back, shooting another volley. "At this rate, you will need your bankai if you want to win against me!"

To his enjoyment, he then heard the teenager utter the first syllable of the desired word.

"...Ban…"

His face twisting into a sneer, he reached for the medallion.

_This is it for you, Kurosaki. It all ends now._

"…kai…"

Pillars of light from the massive black x now in front of Ebern shot out towards the Substitute Soul Reaper. He paused and shielded his eyes from the brightness which doubled in intensity when the Arrancar began to recite the incarnation that would activate that particular medallion's full power.

"_Aufreide. Meer eh wolken, wolken eh regen, regen eh nebel. Sieht balle eh um sieht ballen. Wir gut freude, Danach Vrund Dill Becher!"_

A cry erupted from the teenager as his robes began to break apart at the arms, the matter and energy they were comprised of seemingly being torn from him. There was only mere seconds away from the completion of his objective, then Ebern need only to finish the Soul Reaper off, and return to the Wandenreich in all his glory.

His thoughts of victory were torn away suddenly when he felt the pillars of light being broken by Ichigo swiping his zanpakuto. In complete shock and disbelief of what he had just witnessed, he saw the teenager brought his blade back in order to strike with a technique that had been labeled by the Daten as a signature to Kuorsaki.

The Daten had spoken of how deadly this strike could be if not properly guarded against.

"_Getsuga…_"

"That's impossible!"

"_…Tenshou_!"

There was a brief moment of numbness as Ebern was enveloped in the black reishi. His body then exploded with pain as he felt different parts of skin burn from the strike. It was not his end, though he knew he would emerge grievously injured. Hierro, a passive skill from the side of him he held enmity towards, had saved his life.

Despite being angered by this fact, he screamed out his frustration as to why the medallion had failed to perform as he had been instructed it would.

"Why doesn't your Bankai vanish?!"

Whether he had expected the answer to come from the soul reaper or some other source, he suddenly found the blade of a zanpukuto next to his face. He turned his head slightly and looked back at the holder of the sword.

The orange haired teenager looked at him curiously. "Vanish? What do you mean? I didn't care about you at first, but now I suddenly have a lot of reasons to."

Ebern swallowed as the teenager said, "You're coming with me."

"…Shit."

* * *

He grunted as he hit the hard ground.

Once more the profanity he had spoken earlier passed through his lips.

His Majesty's Shadow had saved Ebern, but its sudden usage had resulted in a rough landing upon his return to the Wandenreich. The impact caused his entire body to once more flare up in pain, but his focus was elsewhere as he began to raise himself up.

The details of his mission needed to be delivered. His current appearance suggested that he had failed-

No… that was putting it too lightly. It looked as if he royally fucked up in his task.

Grinding his teeth, Ebern moved towards the throne room at a crippled pace and tried to focus his thoughts away from his wounds. Upon seeing his destination, his mind felt relief in the same manner as a man finding an oasis in a dry desert. First the report, then he would tend to his injuries.

His Majesty was reasonable, and would be forgiving once he explained in full what had occurred during the assignment. His devoted service to the Wandenreich would ensure his survival.

As Yhwach had put it, his loyalty was admirable.

* * *

_Uneasy._

That was the word he was looking for to describe how he felt.

Though of course, it did not show on Byakuya's face, but rather his motions. As he worked on the paperwork for his division, his fingers would tap on a nearby surface. Besides this, he would occasionally stop and… well he really couldn't describe what exactly he was doing. Perhaps he was simply reaching out and trying to sense if anything was amiss.

There came nothing from these moments except that he told himself he was wasting time. His lieutenant, Renji Abarai, was currently out running an errand, and he was alone in his division's office save for a few Shinigami.

The Kuchiki told himself that he needed to focus on his work, and get the intrusive feeling out of his system and thoughts.

However, he instantly changed his mind upon feeling a surge of reiatsu coming from the First Division.

Using his mastery of Shunpo, he left his office and arrived at the source of the disturbance a moment later, his attention focusing on the fire damage of the chamber. His interest in what had transpired increased at the signs that Yamamoto had seriously attempted to destroy his opponent rather than simply incapacitate them.

Several corpses that had not yet been gathered by the Shinigami arriving on the scene lay out in the hallway behind Byakuya, and he concluded that the assailant or assailants had entered in a certain area before choosing to fight the rest of the way in.

He looked up at the Captain-Commander, who stood over the corpse of a Soul Reaper.

The ancient man's attention was focused upon it, and Byakuya instantly felt pity when he identified that the battered body belonged Vice-Captain Sasikabe.

At that time, any captains who had yet to arrive appeared, witnessing the scene themselves and expressing their own sympathy for the Captain-Commander's loss either verbally or just through their own individual expression.

"Call back all Shinigami from their assignments," Yamamoto spoke to them without taking his eyes off his fallen lieutenant. "I want no one out on assignment while there are numerous dead to be mourned."

* * *

_Ebern's incarnation translates as such: "Melt. Sea to cloud, cloud to rain, rain to fog. That with shape to that which is unseen. After our jubilation, the chalice will be turned face down!"_


	5. Overture IV

**_Overture IV_**

_"A room without books is like a body without a soul."_

_-Cicero_

* * *

He had simply vanished.

_"Don't worry. This shadow only hides the chosen ones…"_

Those had been the Arrancar's final words before he had disappeared into some sort of dark reishi. Whatever he had used to escape with, Ichigo had immediately known that it was not the Garganta that had been the signature method of travel in Aizen's former army.

He returned to his body, discarded upon the ground due to him not possessing a mod soul at the time of being confronted by Ebern. When he was once more in his mortal form, he quickly made his way back home. His friends would need to be informed of the Arrancar, and he removed his cell phone as he walked up the steps to his room.

It came much to his surprise when he found Chad, Orihime, Uryū, as well as the two Shinigami representatives, already gathered without him having to ask. He stopped in the doorway, looking at them.

"How did you all get in here?"

Orihime, who looked to have once more brought the left over pieces of bread from her place of work, smiled up at him. "Your sisters let us in, they told us you went on a walk and you wouldn't mind if we waited for you up here."

Ichigo felt his eye twitch. "Is that so?"

He then became aware of the younger male Shinigami staring at him silently with a large eyed gaze.

"What?"

"Y-you're that guy from the other night."

"Yeah…?"

"N-nothing, you just w-were really good at handling those Hollows…"

"I've had practice."

Yuki nodded at his words, the gesture rather awkward. Ichigo, wanting to avoid any more of such displays, decided to promptly join his friends on the floor in their informal sitting circle. He then began a recapitulation to them of his exchange with the suspicious Arrancar, speaking of their struggle as well as the odd behavior the man had exhibited before and during their fight. Finishing, he recalled the usage of the Quincy bow by the individual.

"…then he just vanished using something that wasn't the Garganta."

While Chad had little to comment except for an almost uninterested sounding "Huh", Orihime acted typically by asking, "Where you injured?"

He responded that he hadn't, and then looked to his dark haired friend who now stared at the piece of bread he had been going to consume.

"Uryū?"

His friend's eyes moved to him. "Do you know where he came from?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I thought at first Hueco Mundo because I assumed he was on some sort of crazy mission to avenge Aizen. Though, when I asked him, he didn't answer except to say to tell me that he wasn't an Arrancar. He didn't say anything else on it after that."

The other teenager was silent for a moment before briefly speaking, "I'll look into it."

Puzzled by the response, but knowing that he'd have a hard time relating on the nature of the Quincy, Ichigo respectfully moved on. "He had also said something about my Bankai-"

He was interrupted by a recording of what sounded like humming. The soul reaper, Yuki pulled out a Denreishinki, a device with the appearance of a phone used by the Shinigami to communicate with Soul Society.

Its apparent ringtone caused Shino to stare at it oddly. "Wait a sec, that sounds like…"

Yuki, despite the look he was receiving from his partner, answered swiftly and began to converse with the caller. His face slowly turned grim as whoever was on the other end spoke to him.

"I-I'm sorry Kurosaki, but we've been ordered to return to base urgently… for a funeral."

* * *

"Five days…?"

He was tempted to look up, but after the display of power from his Majesty moments earlier, Ebern kept his one eye downward.

"Yes sir!" Luders struggled to respond, his voice indicating that his open wound was taking its toll. "It's the necessary time required for Soul Society and us to prepare for the battle-"

"It's the future."

He looked up confused, his missing right arm spilling more blood onto the floor, and Ebern, kneeling nearby, felt himself shiver.

The two Arrancars had always held a general dislike between them, and avoided each other's company during their time in the Wandenreich. To this degree, they had avoided conflicting for the most part. However, upon returning from their respected assignments, they had gotten into an exchange of insults that had resulted in them both receiving a verbal reprimand from his Majesty about the behavior.

Luders had received a physical rebuking along with it.

"Two days ago when you went to inspect the angle to be used to break into the frontier, you had already said that at this rate, in the near future, Soul Society would lose its balance of souls with the human world."

The other Arrancar didn't speak a response.

"Didn't you?" Yhwach asked before giving an inquisitive look. "Luders Friegen, are you perhaps… a prophet?"

"What…?"

"Answer, I just asked you… whether you are a prophet or not?"

"…no… I'm not."

"Then why are you talking about the future? I want to hear about now."

There was a flash of movement, and Luders' body fell back, now missing the upper half of his torso. Blood sprayed onto Ebern, causing him to flinch and let out a horrified whimper.

"Ebern."

"Yes sir!"

"I don't really have a reason to praise you or blame you. You did enough to slow down Ichigo Kurosaki… Your job is done."

Swallowing, he met Yhwach's gaze which had shifted on to him.

"Y-your Majesty, did you not say my loyalty was admirable?"

"I said I would remember it, and for possessing such a trait, you can become the foundation stone to build peace."

Light filled Ebern's vision.

* * *

"You seem to be in a good mood!"

Bambietta nodded at the comment, a smile on her face. "I wish you all could have been there to see his Majesty waste that Arrancar. After all, he doesn't show his power to the public very often."

"Ah, but with the invasion to Soul Society coming, Bambi, I bet you we'll see then!"

To her left, the Stern Ritter 'T', Candice Catnipp, remarked sarcastically on Giselle Gewelle's cheerful exclamation. The Stern Ritter 'Z' responded with a light hearted insult, completely unhurt by the other girl's words. Bickering was common among the two, but Bambietta found that she was in too high of spirits to currently care enough to stop them.

In addition to them, she also walked with Liltotto Lamperd, the Stern Ritter 'G', and Meninas McAllon, the Stern Ritter 'P'. Together, all five of them, formed something of a group of friends. Though in truth, the word 'friend' blurred in meaning sometimes.

Quite significantly if she really took the time to think about it.

Regardless, these were the women that Bambietta felt that she personally led, and she found her interactions with the other Quincy elite limited compared to them.

Askin was an iffy example, his attitude making her constantly change her mind on whether or not she would tolerate him. Others, such as the Stern Ritter 'F' Äs Nödt, she tended to avoid. In his case though, it was because she found him to be creepy due to his obsession with the emotion of fear. Then there were people like Berenice Gabrielli, who she wouldn't waste any of her time on.

Not even with thoughts.

Liltotto leaned over to her, and whispered, "You'd better stop them before one of them begins to shoot arrows."

The youngest girl of them all was correct, and she looked back at the aforementioned Stern Ritter.

"Lil, Candy, shut up."

Instantly they quieted, turning their attention from each other. They waited her next action after reaching her room. Meninas looked over and saw the freshly cleaned area of the floor and shook her head.

"Bambietta, perhaps you should try what you actually imply to those who you bring back here…"

"Oh?"

"The floor wouldn't need to be cleaned as much as it is if you did."

"I wish you wouldn't as well," Candice muttered.

Sitting herself on the table in the center of her quarters, Bambietta sighed. "Is it possible for you all to quit bringing this up? I'd appreciate it."

"Poor Bambi hates her sensitive points," Giselle laughed. "And our teasing."

* * *

His captain was a hard individual to read at times.

Not that Byakuya Kuchiki's usual demeanor made it any easier, but as Renji watched him speak the eulogy, he truly felt that he could almost see emotion playing beneath the man's expressionless surface.

"Chōjirō Sasakibe was the man who swore to be a life-long vice-captain Genryūsai Yamamoto. That man used his Bankai in battle for the first time, and perished."

A short distance away from them, the Captain-Commander stood with his head lowered in front of the pyre intended to cremate Chōjirō"

"Underlings such as us cannot possibly comprehend the Head Captain's grief."

Byakuya finished the eulogy, prompting Yamamoto to give the order for the cremation of his former lieutenant to be begin. The fire grew steadily before consuming the entire structure. The deceased man's body disappeared from view as the flames rose.

After several moments of silence, the Captain-Commander departed alone.

* * *

"You have something on your mind, Renji?"

His captain had stopped ahead of him, looking back with a neutral expression.

How was he able to do that?

Despite not being able to tell what his captain was thinking, it was rather easy for the man to tell what was on his mind. With some hesitation, Renji carefully chose his words as he thought out his response. Byakuya had a tendency of being hard to converse with due to his high aristocratic attitude. Though, more accurately, it was better described as the man's very nature.

"They are the same as everyone else's, Captain."

It seemed to be an acceptable enough answer, granting him a nod from the Kuchiki.

"You may put them to ease, Renji. The Gotei Thirteen captains will be briefed, and the information then passed down the ranks afterward so we are better prepared to face our enemy in the future."

"Do… do you really think that there will be a war, Captain Byakuya? I've heard rumors that we're facing an entire army-"

"Renji," Byakuya interrupted. "Regardless of the size of the enemy force, we will carry out our duty as we always have. Aizen sought to war against Soul Society with his Arrancar army and failed. These individuals, whoever they may be, will fare no different."

Ah, he probably shouldn't have tried to ask that last question. Renji inwardly cursed at his rash error.

So much for his efforts in avoiding criticism.

"My apologies, Captain."

* * *

Jugram Haschwalth, stepping over the severed head of Ebern, picked up the latter's dropped medallion. Nearby, several Soldats worked to clean the floor of the mess from the Arrancars' corpses.

"What is it?"

The Quincy Emperor sat nearby, idly watching him examine the object

"Ebern's medallion," he responded neutrally. "It appears to have been used, but… it was unable to capture Kurosaki's Bankai."

His leader, after a moment, spoke, "I see. So he requires a special method after all…"

"We saw this coming, but I feel there is great value in actually having proven it."

"So, excitable fools are occasionally necessary," Yhwach mused. "Contact the Jagdarmee and tell them to bring a few imbeciles to me, alive."

"As you wish, my lord."

He turned to leave, but was stopped before he could do so.

"Jugram?"

The blond male looked over at the informal addressing. "Your Majesty?"

"Inform the Stern Ritter that accompanied Luders that they performed exceptionally."

"It shall be done."

* * *

He knew what his friends would find in Hueco Mundo.

Even further, Uryū knew what could possibly happen when they did.

The thoughts were painful, but for him to interfere or hinder them would seem suspicious. If they somehow connected the presence of the Wandenreich to this, then their next conversation would be full of accusations. Uryū, despite holding his own convictions, still worried for his friends in the coming conflict.

He had watched them depart with Urahara after sadly informing them that he wouldn't be able to accompany them this time to the former domain of Aizen. Their attempts to lighten the situation increased the guilt he had been feeling as he watched them go.

If only he could inform them of his actions, of how he had argued for their very lives.

When he had brought up the matter with Yhwach, the older man had been amused by the words of the raven haired teenager as he strongly presented his case for the three others.

_"I will not waste your time for anyone in Soul Society, but I knew of these people before we all became involved with the Soul Reapers… Can you grant mercy to them?"_

_The Quincy Emperor smiled. "Alright, _Uryū_, I will make a special note in the Daten for those you have named. They shall be marked as to be left alive, their deaths to be avoided at high priority, just for you."_

_ "Even Kurosaki?"_

_ "You have my word."_

His negotiations had possibly saved all their lives, but there was no way he could ensure their absolute survival. As much as he disliked it, the matter needed to be left to chance for a certain period time. Ichigo would be the most difficult, naturally wanting to defend those in Soul Society. Chad, though no different in which side he would choose, would be easier to bring down non-fatally due to his caliber of power being significantly lower. Then, finally, there was Orihime-

_Inoue._

In truth it was her reaction of the three of his friends that he worried about the most. She cared about them all so unselfishly that she had earned Uryū's admiration.

And perhaps even more than that…

He pushed the thought aside, recalling how just before they had departed he had approached her and almost awkwardly attempted to convince her not to go with the reason that Ichigo and Chad could most likely handle it alone.

She had looked at him, his stomach doing a flip under the gaze of her brown eyes, before smiling and promising that she'd come back and tell him about what they had encountered.

_"Good bye Ishida!"_

_ "…Good bye… Inoue."_

When the truth finally came, how would they respond? Would they rebuke him for what he had done? Would he become a traitor in their eyes, his efforts for their lives in vain?

Damnation was certainly coming for Uryū, the form he did not know or very much care to. It would hurt regardless, but there was nothing further that could done for now.

Except perhaps endure through the agonizing wait until the Wandenreich contacted him again.

* * *

"…Jagdarmee One has contacted us. The 'Special War Power', Ichigo Kurosaki, has been sighted in Hueco Mundo. He is currently engaged in combat with Executive Hunting Captain, Quilge Opie."

There was a deep irony that occurred to him. How unlikely it was for the invasion of Soul Society to be triggered by the actions of someone on their side, a well regarded champion defenders nonetheless.

It was almost philosophical in a twisted sort of way.

Rising from where he sat, Yhwach inquired to the man giving the report, "Shall we go then?"

"Sire, to where?"

The confusion was almost comical, but the reaction from what the Quincy Emperor would speak next would be equally if not more entertaining in what it showed in them.

"'To where?' Isn't it obvious? To Soul Society."

His reishi throne began to deconstruct as he walked towards the ledge to look upon the numerous Quincy below. "I don't know why he entered Hueco Mundo, but if he's fighting with Quilge, then he won't be able to move again."

They continued to remain silent, only scattering in various directions like ants in frenzy when he spoke again to give the order that many of his subordinates had eagerly been waiting for.

"Notify the Stern Ritter. The Wandenreich will now invade Soul Society."

* * *

_I detest when I have to take certain parts from something, and put them through... "novelization". Usually, the grammar and how its spoken isn't really meant for the format I need. Despite this, it usually goes alright once I change the words and "__smooth" it._

_I would have put these out sooner, but I had to go through some correct._

_Until the next two chapters, and I apologize these aren't any longer. I do promise we will break from canon very soon._


	6. Unison I

_Now we finally break from canon..._

* * *

**_Unison I_**

_"Don't be afraid of the fires. You think they'll hurt ya. You think they'll char your skin and char your bones, but it'll make you clean in the long run."_

_-Brewer, Max Payne 3_

* * *

War had come much like the initial tides of an approaching tropical storm.

Vice-Captain Kira, his attention on the massive blue reishi pillar in front of him, waited with the other members of his squad. Not moments ago had these colossal structures of energy appeared and caused their immediate mobilization of the Shinigami to the bottom of each of the blue anomalies.

Any anticipation that had hung in the air before then had become almost palpable at their appearance. This in turn had brought the rumors of a Quincy attack to the forefront of many of their minds when they chose to connect the two.

The blond lieutenant narrowed his eyes, listening to the steady technological noises coming from another Shinigami attempting to analyze the structured energy. He admitted that he felt slightly on edge by the fact that his captain would not be near him in the first possible engagement with the enemy.

Then again, who wouldn't?

All the captains of the Gotei Thirteen were currently, or had been in a meeting depending on how quickly they had reacted. It was possible the lieutenants themselves would not have arrived to the blue pillars of reishi before their superiors were it not for the fact that their meetings tended to be more irrelevant.

Though the highest ranking member there, he told himself that he had survived Aizen and felt his resolve strengthen.

"How much longer must we wait for an analysis?"

In spite of Kira's inquiry, the member of the Spirit Particle Inspection Squad continued his mad tapings on the device he held. "I'm sorry," he spoke in apology without looking up. "The density is so high that the devices aren't working properly."

The man didn't elaborate further, causing Kira to roll his eyes. It was typical that their designated experts had failed to assist them at an urgently needed time. He put the annoyance out of his head, instead choosing to remark to one of his division members the possibility of a Quincy being in the reishi pillar.

Behind him, the analyzer called out suddenly, "Spiritual Pressure supplementation! Relevance ratio ninety-three percent with that of our extraction sample!"

Kira's eyes widen. "It's a Quincy!"

Seconds after speaking, a figure began to take shape within the pillar. Their outline became more defined as they continued to walk forward. The Vice-Captain decided then and there he would not allow them the first move after they emerged.

"I see them! Forward and attack!"

He got maybe three or four steps off before he felt something was wrong. There had been a flash of light from the structure of energy, and then he felt suddenly almost lighter in that now very soundless moment. It occurred to him then that he was now missing a very large section of his torso.

Kira's vision blurred as he fell to his knees, letting out a grunt as he registered that he had been severely wounded. His hearing returning, there came dull cries of panic at his descent to the ground, another sudden blur of movement making the voices of the speaker become quiet as if yanked away.

This was not good. The lieutenant attempted to swallow, finding his mouth suddenly dry.

He needed to make one final effort to get up, to defend Soul Society from the invasion that had aggressively started. However, as his sight cleared, his focus was strangely drawn to the details of the sky.

Everything else seemed to become instantly insignificant in comparison to what he saw above him, the almost painted details keeping his attention. He forgot what had he had been so determined to do only moments earlier.

Protect… something.

Vision once more blurring, he decided that he'd lay there awhile as he felt an increasing sensation of warmth originating from his chest and beginning to envelope the rest of his body. Perhaps he'd remember what his intention had been when he awoke from taking a brief rest, his eyelids already falling.

Whatever it had been…

* * *

Lambs being led to the slaughter, that's all they were. The realization often came too late as they watched their comrades fall around them, their life then coming up in the grim lottery only moments later.

Many would experience their end in those final, seemingly slowed moments. Those Shinigami, slumped or laying on the ground as their life essence bled away, would find their approaching death to have an odd effect on their minds.

A usual clarity would bring solaced thoughts of love ones, opposite to that of a scattered mental status where they simply fought against one another. These notions would have later been deemed silly by their owner had they survived the mortal wounds that they had been inflicted.

Blood flowed like crimson rivers.

* * *

The soul reaper's face twisted in agony as his insides were ripped from out of his back. His expression, showing the unbearable pain, was mixed with something else, a dark and torturous undertone.

Utter fear at its best.

Äs Nödt silently continued his slow advance forward, the Shinigami in front of him once took another retreat consisting of a few frantic and stumbling backward steps. Their faces held uncertainty as they watched another few of their number be punctured by his reishi thorns.

He neither regarded them as heroes, nor fools for their varied actions. Those who were brave enough to charge forward were simply dead the moment they decided to. Those who ran were simply postponing an inevitable fate to come.

If not him, then other Quincy would ensure they would face death.

The Stern Ritter 'F' stopped momentarily to look upon the wide eyes of a deceased soul reaper who had been laid similar to a discarded slab of meat. The dead man's expression would trigger morbid awe to those who gazed at him. Curiosity would make them wonder what could have possibly gone through his mind before being overtaken by the final embrace.

Corpses around him all held a similar expression.

Looking up, it reached Äs Nödt's ears that one of the men was shouting in question as to why all his fallen comrades screamed in such a horrific manner as they were struck down by his thorns. One of the soul reapers at the front, his panic evidently gripping him, turned and fled through the others. Self-preservation suddenly flashed in numerous eyes, and they began to follow his example until but one remained.

The lone Soul Reaper continued to hold his sword, though shaking rather badly, up at the approaching Quincy. It seemed as if he would drop the weapon at any moment even though he continued to hold his ground. The bravado, though mistaken, was enough for Äs Nödt to silently promise him a quick death.

A quick, semi-painless death… Humane really when compared to those thus far.

The man called out to his allies, almost desperately screaming at them to stand with him and how they had to protect Soul Society instead of their own interest. Were he not so immersed in the slaughter, the Stern Ritter possibly could have laughed at the words.

It would have only been a few more steps before he could have reached out and delivered a single but fatal strike, however he halted his progress upon feeling a cold wind suddenly hit his pale skin.

"Get back, soldier."

A quick shift with dark eyes revealed the new speaker to be a rather small woman-girl holding a Zanpakutō in a Shikai state. Logically, she could be a lieutenant or an officer to have a blade that was progressed to that level. However, features in her appearance allowed the Quincy to identify her.

Rukia Kuchiki of the Thirteen Division, noted within the Daten to be exceptional in combat skills despite not having a Bankai. Beyond her sword was immense knowledge of Kido, and notable encounters with Arrancar formerly serving under Aizen.

Despite holding such credentials, members of the Wandenreich would still regard her description as being flimsy and insignificant when compared on a grander scale. Expressed basically, she was a minor threat to the Stern Ritter and Äs Nödt if any. It'd be a waste of his time really, no Bankai to be gained from their conflict making it meaningless.

The numerous dead around him began to change his thinking on the matter though and the prospect of a fight with the lieutenant became increasingly enticing. She was looking at him as he went over these thoughts, something of a determination residing in her eyes. It seemed she had already decided the matter for him then.

Her choice.

* * *

The Quincy's metal claws deflected his sword upwards.

_What's with this guy? _

Renji narrowed as his eyes as he went in for another attack, his opponent moving back.

_Why haven't I been able to hurt him?_

His segmented blade struck the exposed skin of the hooded male's hand. Just as with the previous strikes, it did nothing as if he was impacting some sort of armor or another piece of metal. There was no visible damage to be seen from when he connected, and the Quincy kept his eye on him as he pressed forward once more.

Again his Zanpakutō made contact and yielded the same results, but Renji this time held a different intent. Instead his eyes sought for something else that had slowly been drawing his attention as their struggle had progressed.

_There they are again,_ he thought as he spotted the dark markings that appeared whenever he connected his sword on a visible area. Ink colored lines on the skin that manifested from seemingly nowhere and prevented any sort of injury from being inflicted.

The newly gained understanding, while minor, caused him to decide that a change of pace was in order to see if he could counter this unknown technique.

Before Renji could act, the Quincy suddenly moved forward, apparently choosing to take his own part in the offensive aspect of the battle. The lieutenant brought his hands up, moving the sword's segments to shield him.

He had not expected the blow to be as strong as it was, and, after letting out a curse, he found himself now being pressed backwards. Their roles seemingly having been reversed as he defended himself from another strike. This time he was better prepared now that he knew what to expect strength wise.

Renji quickly flash stepped some distance away, rethinking his strategy now that his ineffective attacks weren't doing him any favors. Perhaps the originally planned increase in speed would give him the desired advantage.

Though he rather would have taken another course of action, information that his Bankai could possibly be sealed meant the choice had to be ruled out.

Or did it?

His eyes suddenly moved down to the hilt of his sword as he reconsidered a third door available.

He could release Bankai, and quickly overwhelm his opponent before it could be sealed. He admittedly would have rather not brought out Zabimaru so quickly, his extensive training to hone his other abilities seemingly pointless. However, the behavior exhibited thus far by the Quincy was very convincing for the case of a power strategy.

The ambiguous favor of the battle so far was only reflected by the shaky scale that determined it.

Renji brought his sword back, preparing to unleash his Bankai. A gamble, but in the end a decisive victory was better than a long drawn out game of guesses. Just before he could bring out the final release, he was interrupted by the appearance of a familiar reiatsu.

His attention, along with the Quincy's, moved to its owner. "Captain!"

Byakuya, calm and composed as ever, walked towards him as if this was just casual occasion. "You were about to do something hasty, Renji."

The lieutenant blinked. "No, I was going to overpower him before he could-"

"I know what you believed you would do, but do not throw away the battle so casually on an unknown such as that." The Kuchiki turned his head to look at the Quincy. "But, we both know that they are an enemy that cannot be beat without the use of Bankai. That much you are aware of yes?"

"Captain…?"

"I will use my Bankai, and should they seal it, please use yours to defeat them." His captain then looked at him. "Watch for how they carry this out, and with that information we can deduce a method to undo it."

He couldn't decide if the man's choice to 'go first' was noble or pompous. "I will, Captain," Renji then answered.

With that, Byakuya held his Zanpakutō by the hilt and dropped it straight downwards. The weapon phased into the ground as if hitting a surface of water, disappearing from sight. "_Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."_

Two rows worth of massive sword blades began to arise around his captain. The lieutenant, having seen this before from both sides of the field, knew that next part of the technique would transform these into thousands upon thousands of a smaller variation that would take on the appearance of cherry blossoms aloft in a breeze.

It was a beautiful display of deadliness.

It never came.

The Quincy had taken something off his person, and the item had activated as his captain's Bankai had progressed, causing it to disintegrate away before it could manifest fully, and leaving the Kuchiki in a statue like stillness.

"This is… not a sealing technique," Renji heard him speak out in an unfamiliar tone. "My Bankai… was stolen from me!"

* * *

"Hyōrinmaru… Hyōrinmaru!"

Well, this sure was one hell of a dramatic reaction to the loss of a Bankai, perhaps even an over-reaction. Then again he recalled hearing that higher ranking Shinigami possessed a type of inner connection with their weapons. Living spirit, or some crap like that if he remembered correctly. Or maybe it was something different?

Either way, Bazz-B continued to watch the captain with the kid like appearance go into freak out mode as he tossed the recently used medallion to himself. It wasn't really even that great of a Bankai to get worked up about, being some sort of ice centered ability.

In the Daten there was a list of all known Bankai and their owners, but he barely remembered the details, having been very hung over from a night of heavy drinking after they had returned from the Hueco Mundo campaign.

The captain, whose name he had no knowledge of, suddenly called out to a nearby woman, his lieutenant he guessed, to use a communication method of which the name for he failed to catch. Whatever it was called, she did so rapidly, sending out a warning to the other Soul Reapers that Bankai should not be used as the Quincy possessed a way to steal it.

That announcement would turn some heads. Bazz-B then noticed that both of the Shinigami had moved their attention back onto him, the smaller one apparently having regained his composure after his loss.

"Feeling better half-pint?" Bazz-B asked under the murderous stare from the Tenth Division Captain. "Sorry for melting your Popsicle, ice boy."

"Your mockery will gain you nothing, Quincy. I'll inform you right now that-"

With a roll of the eyes, the mohawk Stern Ritter tuned out the Shinigami's denouncement of him, his kind, and their behavior. His eyes then idly drifted over to the female lieutenant as this went on, suddenly noticing a detail he had missed previously due to his focus being elsewhere.

The light haired woman had _huge_ jugs.

Not only that, she purposely had put emphasis on them by wearing her uniform in a provocative fashion. The garment, not only complimenting the woman's ample chest, also indicated a pair of shapely hips judging by the way it clung below.

The woman must have suffered constant back aches with a gorgeous figure like that. Maneuvering in combat must have been pain in the ass.

She seemed to have figured out the reason behind his blatant stare because when he had finished trailing her curves upwards, he noticed that her eyes were a much wider than they had been previously. A curious expression came to her face, both of if indignation as well as embarrassment.

If only, if only…

Bazz-B, ignoring whatever the white haired boy had finished blathering out, spoke directly to the woman in a tone that was seductive as it was shameless, "Hey girl, let's ditch the kid and get to know each other a little better…"

Both the short captain and busty lieutenant sputtered in response to his pass, though the causes were definitely different. Different, but still amusing, he concluded with a grin.

"Oh well, was worth a try."

Activating the secondary purpose of the medallion, Bazz-B felt the sensation of ice beginning to move onto his body, encasing his hands and feet while additionally forming wings that sprouted out from his shoulders. A tail, complimenting the dragon like appendages, also manifested.

He paid no mind to the now disbelieving expressions of his opponents as he gave himself a quick look over. "Ehhhh… this Bankai is kind of bit showy for my taste. Not that it was very interesting to begin with," he said, smirking. "Guess I'll give it a spin though."

* * *

The young female Soul Reaper cried out for her fallen superior.

They always chose the fatal option, regardless of how irrational it was. Regardless of how utterly _suicidal_ it was. What's more, the act of issuing warnings that would potently preserve their lives only seemed to spur them in throwing it away.

The Gotei Thirteen held an admirable, if not misguided honor in their line of duty.

Jugram Haschwalth noted that it frequently showed when they faced odds that were overwhelming or out of their capability. He watched from above as the Shinigami girl wailed the name of the deceased Soul Reaper twice while those in her division did nothing.

Moments ago he had cut down their officer, and like a child without a parent, they had become frightened and lost. He could have gone on to kill each and every one of them, but they had not charged forward in an act to avenge their fallen comrade.

Their inexperience had prevented them from making a snap decision, the inability to act being the factor that prevented death by his hand. How easy it would have been to eliminate them had they decided otherwise.

Using Hirenkyaku, Haschwalth had moved some distance away in order to observe the squad that now stared in horror at the corpse of their superior. Instead of someone stepping forward to rally them, they had remained broken. Instead of retreating, they stayed in an area that they knew there was an enemy presence.

"Well?" the blond Quincy spoke aloud. "It appears as if this squad has already lost their will to fight."

"Leaving it to me?" Yhwach's voice answered, "If you think sparing them would be a benign choice, then do so."

He narrowed his eyes, once more being reminded that he did not speak to his leader, but another Stern Ritter holding the guise of the Wandenreich Lord.

Royd Lloyd, designated the letter 'Y' for 'The Yourself', was one of two identical twin brothers in their ranks who held an ability to imitate another, though the extent of it varied between them. Whereas his brother, Lloyd, could replicate the abilities and power of another, Royd was able to copy their personality and memories.

He was indistinguishable when being spoken to, a mirror image of flesh and persona. Only a prior awareness of his power would allow one to effectively distinguish him from whoever he imitated.

They currently both played a greater part in the invasion, each one specifically informed of their role and the precision it required. Loyally, the blond Quincy had agreed to do so, adapting into his part without problem.

"Understood," Haschwalth spoke after a moment of silence. "Shall we go survey the field, your Majesty?"

A dark chuckle to his question. "Why not? There's no harm in it. Lead on... Jugo."

* * *

_I enjoyed writing the bit with Bazz-B.._.


	7. Unison II

_**Unison II**_

_"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."_

_-Tyler Durden, Fight Clu_b

* * *

Was it poison?

Flexing her fingers, Rukia tested out the extent of the freezing sensation she felt in her arms. It was a strange, almost foreign feeling that seemed to be traveling through her veins. The unknown toxin had slowly begun to spread to her legs, subjecting them to its ice like touch.

It had to originate from those thorns of light that the Quincy was manifesting. The wound she had sustained, though minor, must have allowed the unseen venom to enter her bloodstream. Now it was slowly starting to grow in strength, and she was apprehensive of what would happen when it took full effect.

Oddly enough, she considered this to be a secondary worry compared to the almost unnerving silence of her opponent. He had yet to speak, simply going in for attacks or defending himself entirely from hers. His eyes, two empty pools of blackness, stared at her with only the occasional blink to interrupt their deadpan.

What was he planning? Why hadn't he seriously attempted to injure her yet? Despite many of her strikes connecting successfully, she had yet to draw any of his blood. All the while those dark orbs without life continued to steadily observe her.

It was creepy and suspicious, and Rukia evaded another one of the Quincy's thorns as she created some distance between them. Her blade went up into a defensive stance as she considered which one of the techniques of her Shikai that she could attempt again.

The poison strengthened in her body, multiple shivers running up her spine. Grinding her teeth, she attempted to undue the heaviness with a mental push to resist its efforts.

"Have you noticed?"

His voice was a reflection of his nightmare like appearance. A low, almost rasping sound that one would hear from in the midnight as they franticly searched for its origin. Cautiously watching him, Rukia listened on as he continued to speak.

"You are thinking that it is some kind of poison." He cocked his head slightly to the right as he stared at her. "Yes, I can see it in your eyes. You are trying to fight something that isn't there."

"What do you mean?" It registered dully that her fingers trembled ever so lightly.

There was a flicker of amusement in the lines of his face before they returned to their previous detached state. "You resist it well lieutenant, but what you feel in your body is not a toxin intended to slow or paralyze you, but rather the pure emotion of… fear."

He was lying to her, trying to get her to mentally break. A sick sort of mental game that stemmed from a sadistic pleasure he must have felt when engaging in combat.

"Any normal Shinigami, after receiving an attack from my 'arrows', would scream and go insane from all the fear. Do want to know why lieutenant? It's because they… begin… to fear… everything."

_Rukia blinked several times, watching his outline grow bolder before changing into ink like tendrils that swirled around him in a distorted mass._

"If I step towards them right now, they may think something will happen…"

_She watched an odd glint come from her sword. The zanpakutō felt heavier in her hands._

"If I put my hand on my blade… If I unsheathe it…"

_The details of her surrounding become much darker in detail. She briefly wondered if evening had already fallen upon Soul Society as the light dimmed._

"I am speaking to them and I may speak a horrible incantation with my next words…"

_His footsteps echoed as he began to move forward._

"If I move my fingers, if my gaze twitches ever so slightly…"

_Movement felt sluggish, as if caught behind the pace of everything else._

"If I breathe in… If I breathe out…"

_Her knees rubbed against the ground, her hand slowly lowering her sword downwards. The edge of the blade emitted a dull clang as it made contact with the floor._

"They doubt everything… and lose control of their thoughts…"

_Slender pale fingers traced her jawline, stopping just at her mouth. A thumb brushed against her lower lip._

_ No… No!_

Rukia flash stepped away, becoming painfully aware of just how close the Quincy had gotten to her. His demented words had thrown her into some kind of trance. She breathed heavily as she regained control of her thoughts, and as she looked at her opponent, she became aware that his hand had remained in its position.

He silently regarded the space she had been before turning his head in her direction. "Well done lieutenant. The expression you held was quite… enthralling."

She glared in response to his words. "You're a sick bastard! What did you just do to me?!"

"Me? I had very little to do with it, lieutenant." He faced his entire body towards her. "What you just experience was created by your own mind. I was simply acting as a catalyst."

She readied her sword, a determination taking her features. "Your riddle is nothing more than a cover for further lies, Quincy."

A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke in a sinister tone, "You will come to understand soon, my dear."

* * *

Such a splendor it was for his senses to behold the symphony of clashing Spiritual Pressures.

Yhwach would stop on occasion, sensing out the various signatures of his Stern Ritter as they continue to dominate over those of the Shinigami. He almost felt regretful that he could not currently be alongside his followers in the blitzkrieg that raged above ground.

There would be time later to lament on what he missed, and even more for him to make up for it. Right then he had his own objective that needed tending to, his confidence in the abilities of his subjects unwavering.

Would there be some casualties on their side? Of course, but this and everything that would come after all fell within his predictions. Carefully thought out in a manner that bore much similarity to how Sōsuke Aizen had conducted himself during his own personal campaign.

Thoughts of the Soul Society's infamous traitor reminded him of his purpose in the Underground Central Prison. He had a meeting, the anticipation for which had steadily been growing the closer he got. It was near palpable by the time he reached the lower most level of the penitentiary.

Any sentries who had held a presence on the numerous tiers that housed the rejects and inmates of the Gotei Thirteen had long since fled before his arrival. The emptiness, mixed with the increasingly dim lighting of the lower floors gave the environment an almost sinister feel.

It was rather fitting for the deemed severity of Aizen's criminal actions.

Identifying who the Reiatsu signatures belonged to was an effortless task. He could feel that of Bambietta Basterbine as she cut through Soul Reaper ranks, those of both Bazz-B and Äs Nödt who were engaged with opponents of higher caliber.

Then the rotation would fall upon the signature of Haschwalth who currently accompanied the Stern Ritter acting as his double. Judging by what he could sense, they would soon be approached by the special war potential Kenpachi Zaraki, who thus far had failed to disappoint by living up to expectation.

His destination, marked by a set of double doors that appeared too elegant for a prison, came into view. Inside he found the former Soul Reaper captain, bound to an ironically shaped throne like chair by many black bonds, one exposed eye to look at the Quincy Emperor.

Yhwach approached, reaching out with a single hand to undoing the straps that covered the man's mouth. "Sōsuke Aizen, I have wanted to have this meeting between us for quite some time."

There was mirth from the man who had striven to become a god. "The conversation is greatly appreciated. It feels like forever since I was granted such a courtesy, though I suppose with a sentence like mine that is only natural."

* * *

"Doggy? Doggy captain where did you go!?"

The canine Shinigami was gone, having either disappeared or fled, both answers irrelevant because damn it she was just starting to enjoy herself. Guess he had been smart enough to know that continuing to fight would cause his chances of survival to drop to zero, and the severity of the injury she had inflicted upon him after the loss of his Bankai must have driven the point home.

Now there were only a few remaining subordinates of his who had 'volunteered' to stay, and there was little entertainment to be had from these grunts who presented no challenge at all.

A sigh escaped Bambietta's lips as she horizontally bisected a Shinigami who had been trying to bring his sword up in a futile defense. The upper half struck the floor, shortly followed by the lower. Her strikes, painting the pavement bloody, left only three remaining Soul Reapers.

"Holy shit!"

"What the fuck…?"

"I'm getting the hell out of here! Screw covering the captain!"

Pausing allowed Bambietta to hear these exclamations of panic and horror. The man who had decided to forsake his 'heroic' task in covering his superior got only a few feet before one of her arrows pierced through his body, leaving perfectly shaped hole of destroyed flesh.

His comrades, too busy staring at a visibly severed spine that hung out in the open, did not notice her approach to deliver the finishing blows. A small slash, a quick stab, and it was ended in a second. Her only company to be had then was the corpses of the fallen.

_What to do now… _Pursuing the Seventh Division Captain was momentarily enticing before she realized that by now he had put some distance between them. Though she could just as well walk in any direction and find someone else with about the same amount of power to waste time on.

The decision to wander ultimately won out after several seconds of listening to distant combat and the occasional dying moan from a nearby soul reaper who had not yet passed on. She was unhindered as she steadily walked away from her brutal handiwork.

Any Shinigami that crossed her path were obviously low-ranked, freezing in place as the blood drained from their faces before they took off franticly running in the direction opposite of her. Bambietta's mood, though dampened by the canine captain's retreat, was still well enough that she spared these individuals from her blade.

Her good deed for that particular day.

She realized that she had walked into the area near where Cang Du had entered Soul Society, but did not feel him anywhere nearby. He must have finished his fight with that captain and lieutenant before moving on.

If that was the case, where was their...?

Turning a corner, the answer to her question came in the form of a crater that had with very visibly red edges. She approached, seeing a figure lying in the indentation before immediately grimacing and backing up when the full details came into view.

Cang Du must have unleashed the Bankai he stole judging by the scene before her.

She was no stranger to gore, but the word shredded did little justice to describe what she saw. It looked as if the man had been caught in a blade storm, which if memory served correctly, was a detail related to the Bankai ability of one Byakuya Kuchiki. Once more stepping closer, she took in the grisly sight.

Countless cuts marked his skin, the deepness of each varying greatly between them. Blood seeped into an already severely damaged Shinigami uniform. However, it was not this that drew the attention of the Stern Ritter. Rather her eyes were curious to how the soul reaper's crimson hair mixed almost artistically with his life essence.

This was not the Captain Kuchiki, but his lieutenant.

Bambietta then noticed that the man's eyes had opened and were giving her a disoriented stare. Still alive after all, though just barely from a look at how much blood had left him. His gaze unwavering, she expected it to turn hateful any moment, and then would come out the usual insults and curses.

"…Rukia?"

* * *

Once again Byakuya was pushed back, the Quincy having broken through his guard.

It was almost torturous for him to watch his captain to fight on in the near hopeless situation. Every bit of him wanted to move forward and assist, but he then he would be defying orders. A damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation that was growing increasingly dire as it continued on.

_"Captain!"_

_ "Stay back!"_

_ The red haired lieutenant halted at his superior's command, who continued to face their silent enemy. _

_ "Attacking an opponent whose ability you do not understand is a foolish plan that makes you lose several advantages." Byakuya raised his sword up as he prepared to go in once more. "Watch my battle and figure out his ability."_

_ He was being noble again, but this time Renji would not allow him to risk his life for his sake. "Then let me go first!" he pleaded._

_ The Kuchiki paused, glancing back. "I… do not believe you have the proper skill necessary to make him reveal the extent of his abilities…"_

_ ...That pompous prick!_

So he had, with some hesitance, remained at the sidelines and watched his superior continue to test the extent of the Quincy's ability. Every time Byakuya received an injury, he found his loyalty on following orders heavily stressed.

In truth, he wanted to implore for them to retreat.

"Your efforts are worthy of mention, Captain, but the time to bring our battle to close has arrived."

The voice of the Quincy, having been heard for the first time since their encounter, surprised both men. Bringing out the medallion he had used to steal the Kuchiki's Bankai, the dark haired man raised it up so it was visible before them. "Allow me to show you the secondary purpose of this object … _Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi._"

The smaller variation was immediately released, skipping the iconic introduction of the ability before beginning to swirl above the Quincy. "I am the Stern Ritter 'I', 'The Iron', Cang Du. Things that live together, should die together." The halo of deadly cherry blossoms expanded. "That… is my code."

Byakuya, his composure questionable, quickly moved forward to intercept the Quincy before he could act. The petals suddenly changed direction, ramming into him from the side and causing him to lose his balance.

"It is a beautiful Bankai, Captain Kuchiki, and this must be the first time you have seen it from the receiving end."

He pushed himself up; rising only to fall again as the petals hit him once more, laying him out flat on his back. So strong was the impact that the air was knocked out of his lungs, and he gasped like a man whose head had just broke the surface of water.

"It once lived with you, and by taking it, it shall continue to exist long after your demise. Such a thing… truly breaks my heart."

"STOP!"

Renji had jumped above the Stern Ritter, attempting to hit him with an aerial strike. Cang Du avoided it, putting his attention on the lieutenant. "I had momentarily forgotten about you. My apologies."

"A bastard like you has no right to use Senbonzakura!" He sent out his zanpakutō once more, the Quincy raising a forearm to obstruct the blade whip's path while his other hand was outstretched to redirect the petals in his direction.

They swiftly made contact, his last minute defensive action reducing the damage he sustained from the surge. It'd been some considerable time since had had felt them cut into his body. The man was using the Bankai in an unfamiliar way, so the experience, save for the pain, was useless.

Evading more petals by mere inches, his mind raced for a solution out of their predicament. No Bankai use, no help to be had, and no time to properly plan something effective. Though retreating would definitely injure the pride of his Captain, better that happen then his death.

He prepared to flash step to Byakuya, grab him and-

His face hit the ground as pressure from the cherry blossom blades drove into his back. Downward he went, growling loudly as he felt breaks in his skin opening up. The assault concluded, an instinct urging him to get up appeared. Vain struggles only brought the floor up to meet him again.

"Please stay there until I finish with your captain." The Stern Ritter pointed a hand towards Byakuya, who had managed to rise onto his feet during this time. He was caught in the storm, maintained his balance for the first wave, and fell forward only to be caught in the second.

Desperation flooded Renji's mind as he watched the man he greatly respected being torn to ribbons before him, redoubled his efforts.

_Come on, come on you son of a bitch! Get up! Get up NOW!_

A bloodied arm was the only thing visible of the Kuchiki as he was enveloped in another wave that drove him into a nearby wall. He remained there as the vicious onslaught continued to press him deeper.

Bankai, he needed to use it. He reached for his hilt, and prepared to utter the words that would release it. In the moment before he could activate it, his Captain's voice echoed inside his head that he mustn't lose it as well

With only a few remaining moments before the Kuchiki would doubtlessly be killed, he promptly made a decision of what he would do. Renji prayed inwardly for forgiveness as he steadied his resolve and found his voice.

"W… Wait!"

No reaction, the Quincy continued.

"Stop! Wait… Please!"

His cry worked, and Cang Du ceased his assault that left Sixth Division's Captain upright in the cavity of the wall. He turned his eyes to the injured lieutenant, waiting for him to speak.

"Please… You said that killing Byakuya would sadden you because… you stole his Bankai. I…" He winced as he forced himself up onto his knees. "...I still have mine. Take… take my life instead…"

No response until, "…You give an admirable proposal, but is there a point to it? Could I not just finish you, and then him? That would be two things that live together and it would be satisfactory enough."

"Yes, you could… but there is someone that means more to him… that lives alongside him. I… I am just his lieutenant." Renji swallowed. "Our relationship is… simply professional."

Cang Du narrowed his eyes, a gesture that hopefully meant he was considering his words. Another voice joined into their conversation, interrupting the brief silence.

"Renji… do not waste your life on… such a foolish choice." Byakuya was looking at him with half-lidded eyes. "If I perish, you can survive this… and grow in strength in order to-…"

"No Captain," the crimson haired male interrupted with a smile. "You've been noble enough today. Now, it's finally my turn."

The Quincy glanced at both of them, his eyes settling on Renji, "Very well lieutenant, I will take your life instead of that of your captain's. On the honor of my code, I swear this. Now, please rise to your feet."

There was relief, but an equal amount of sadness to counter it. He stood, hunched in pain but still upright, and turned to look at his superior who returned his gaze.

"Tell her I'm sorry."

With a nod to the Quincy, the now vast amount of petals began to move rapidly above their heads. It was such a beautiful sight to behold, and he breathed slowly as the world went mute. Eyes closed, he felt the sensation of being struck.

The cherry blossom blades carried him, his feet barely skimming the ground at times. His back struck a wall, then another, and another. It all felt so far away, pain dulled somewhat by a sense that he had manage to pull off something useful in spite of the stakes.

His hearing returned, causing him to realize then that he was no longer engulfed in the petals. He lay in a crater, an unknown amount of time having passed, barely registering his wounds but knowing that they were there. Blood tricked out from the corner of his lips.

Opening his eyes, he saw in his blurred vision a figure standing over him. A few seconds passed, the details slowly clearing, and though too injured to express it, he was surprised by who the person was.

"…Rukia?"

Confusion took the Kuchiki female's face, but it disappeared as she kneeled down next to him. He swallowed, finding the action difficult. He forced words out, knowing that the severity of his wounds left him with little time.

"I… I manage to save your brother… though, it cost me." He chuckled before his body's protest forced him to stop. A sad smile took her face, and he spoke, "You'll have to… forgive me. I don't think I can… survive this. I'm… sorry."

More chuckling, and with it another increase in the throbbing in his torso. "Really wish Orihime was here to work one her miracles…" Coughs that shook the entire frame assailed him, grimly strengthening his determination to speak his final words.

"Rukia… I need to tell you something…"

He scolded himself, thinking off all the opportune times he could have done this. How many life and death situations had they been through together? If one of them had perished on those occasions, he'd have felt as foolish as he did now.

_Say it… Come on… Before it's too late._

"…I love you…"

Her face went neutral, before that same sad smile once more was visible. He was unsure of how he felt about her response to his confession, but having managed to do it filled him with pride. Finally, he had gotten that out of his system.

_Captain… if you could see me now… You'd probably act the same way…_

Steel, cold and abrupt, entered the center of his chest.

* * *

Bambietta watched as the soul reaper's eyes glazed over.

She withdrew her blade silently, dispelling the spirit weapon as she stood over the man's now motionless body. He had hallucinated, and began to talk to her, and she had entered the role of this Rukia girl he had believed she was.

Then, after he had spoken the dying declaration of love, she had delivered the final strike by stabbing him in his torso's center. Why she could have done this might have been out of the three possibilities of pity, mercy, or contempt.

Pity, because perhaps she felt sorry for his situation and how he had given his last words to someone she wasn't, effectively wasting a tender a moment upon her.

Mercy, because the man had been gravely injured and it looked like every single breath he drew into his lungs hurt on an unimaginable degree.

Or perhaps it was out of contempt, because she was supposed to hate every single Shinigami she came across and not feel a hint of any of the previous two choices. They were the enemy, and they deserved the death that was being given because of their actions in the past.

What the answer was Bambietta did not much care to know as she removed herself from the area.

* * *

"BROTHER!"

Rukia turned herself in the direction of the other Kuchiki. When his Spiritual Pressure had disappeared from her senses, she could not stop the fear, the utter terror that took hold of her.

Whatever the lieutenant's opponent had been attempting was successful as an image of a decaying Byakuya flashed through the girl's mind. She whimpered as she ran forward, forgetting all else as she desired nothing more but to reach him.

Her feet suddenly left the ground as she found herself in the grip of two very broad arms. She yelped in surprise, finding her oxygen supply cut off as she attempted to break away from the masked individual.

"As Nodt, your opponent is trying to flee from you in the middle of your fight!" a light hearted voice spoke out. "A most dishonorable act expected from these scoundrels!"

"Where have you been? I recall the orders were for us to rendezvous after we arrived in Soul Society." The ghostly Quincy moved closer to them, ignoring Rukia's wide eyes and focusing on the large man that had seized her.

"My apologies my friend, but I got hung up when I ran into a group of Shinigami that were just asking to be pummeled by my fists!" A hearty, almost theatrical laugh emerged from the mustached man's throat. "Now, where in the world could this little one have been trying to go?"

Air… her lunges needed air! She needed…

"It seems Byakuya Kuchiki has been killed by Cang Du…"

Her mind screamed that it was untrue. Hell, every part of her began to deny it as she kept struggling.

"So?" the larger Stern Ritter asked. "That still doesn't answer why she would run off."

"This girl is a relative of his. Did you not read the same Daten as I, Mask?"

"…That is not important! I reviewed it to the necessary degree. Shall I snap her neck and dispose of this little nuisance then?"

Rukia's frantic kicks became weaker, her vision beginning to fade. It couldn't end here; she needed to reach her brother before it was too late. Her desperation rose as she continued to thrash against the hold of the large man to no avail.

The dark gaze of the smaller male settled on her as she felt her own eyes begin to roll back into her head with specks of light in her vision. Her lungs screaming, she finally heard him speak the command to end it.

"Release her."

Air filled her lungs once more as Rukia hit the ground. The Quincy with the haunting features still eyed her as the other glanced around with boredom, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I am Äs Nödt, the Stern Ritter 'F' and I am the person who spared your life on this day." Lines in his cheeks indicated he was smiling wickedly beneath his mask. "I enjoyed watching you crumble, lieutenant. Perhaps in the future we will have the opportunity to explore your fear… further… Remember me, my dear."

Her senses were overwhelmed by his ability, pulling her under as she distantly felt the Reiatsu of the Captain-Commander spring to life. Both the invaders above her turned their heads in the direction of this disturbance, her own attention and thoughts still focused on her brother-in-law.

_Byakuya… Hold on… Byakuya..._

* * *

_Well at least in canon Renji has become Jesus Christ._

_His end was admittedly a slight challenge to write because I had to make such a sacrifice within his character. Then there's avoiding cliche lines..._

_When it looked like Byakuya had actually died in canon, before it was revealed he had survived, I had wanted Kubo to have actually written that the Kuchiki was no more. Not out of dislike, or because I actually like Äs Nödt, but rather I thought it would have raised the stakes. Bleach runs on a set of principles known as "Kubo logic". Bad guys attack, someone gets really injured, good guys get stronger, victory for Soul Society._

_However, I thought that perhaps the Final Arc would change this, but no such luck thus far. Don't get me wrong, I think Kubo is a great author regardless, but sometimes I wish he'd take more risks, and make a darker, grittier Bleach. Lets say that Momo's life had been ended when Aizen ran her through after that fateful hug. How would this have affected Toshiro? Perhaps he'd have become obsessed with killing Aizen, and had issues later on..._

_That is the beauty of Fanfiction, it can explore multiple possibilities._

_12/21/2013: Menevero chapter names changed to "Unison". Only two in Unison set._

**_Happy holidays!_**


	8. Serenata

**_Serenata_**

_Unleash the breath that damned wicked soul_  
_Make the sacrifice for good_  
_An omen passed the flame through the night_  
_Benefit the figures face without thorns_

_Gaze upon thy gate_  
_A spirit finds a light_  
_Embrace it with its burning tears_  
_Howling, crawling, falling, inside_

_Beyond an bound_  
_The spirit rise and disappeared into the light_  
_Covered by a shadow face_  
_Vengeances for the traitors are thine_

_See a fallen angel_  
_Raging fire glow_  
_Take the tale let wisdom fill_  
_The beginning of the end for us all_

_A higher form that makes us feel cold_  
_They said dying alone is our fault_  
_Forbidden and freeze the things that we need_  
_They said judgment day upon_

_-Volbeat's Who they Are, from Beyond Hell/Above Heaven_

* * *

Darkness.

Maddening, unending darkness.

_Inescapable_, maddening, unending darkness.

No matter how much power he put into his strikes, even with his Zanpakutō in Bankai, there was no break in the void. Ichigo was caged, that Quincy they believed defeated having pulled out an unseen strength at the last moment and cut him off from heading to Soul Society.

The Denreishinki he had in his possession of had lost its power only a few moments ago, his contact with his friends and the Shinigami ended. Ominous silence filled his prison as he stared at the device, unbelieving of his current situation.

Darkly a small part of him had been thankful when it had cut out. Prior to silencing, the object had given him an audio show of horror to the destruction that was being currently being inflicted on the Gotei Thirteen. So perhaps it was better to be unaware, then know and be helpless to do anything.

Solace in death, solace in ignorance.

He struck again, crying out as the cage continued to hold. "Fuck… Fuck!" Swearing loudly did little to ease his frustrations. "Why won't you fucking break!?"

Light would appear for his stronger attacks, illuminating the self-inflicted damage he was obtaining in the struggle. He didn't register it, too desperate to get out of that mental hell that was becoming more torturous as time went on and no progress was made.

Guilt was gnawing at his innards, telling him that if he didn't escape soon, his efforts would be in vain. How many faces of the dead would be familiar to him? How many lifeless eyes would stare at him accusingly, asking why he hadn't arrived to rescue them?

It would be more than he could contend with. His personal code, though seeming more like a flaw at that moment, was that he would protect his friends. Numerous times this self-taken responsibility had been upheld, the difficulty ranging greatly for each incident. However, he had never given much thought as to what would happen if he failed to do so.

This was never a possibility. There would be no failure, and he would succeed no matter the factors that opposed him. His determination, near limitless, would come through and deliver unto him success.

Yet, here he was, hopelessly trapped. There came agonizing thoughts of how every second he wasn't in Soul Society, his friends were getting further hurt, injured… even killed.

Ichigo stopped his strikes, screaming out in annoyance as his cage showed no damage from his efforts. He steadied himself, breathing heavily and speaking aloud in a promise, "I won't let them die. I won't let everyone die. I'll… protect them!"

His own voice sounded foreign in his ears.

* * *

"…at that point the judge raises the sentence up to twenty-thousand years."

"Was it worth the comment you made?"

Aizen smiled at the Quincy King. "Certainly, even in defeat I still find enjoyment from the flustered expressions of those in that court."

Their conversation thus far had been nothing but friendly chatter, much like two strangers in idle talk. The former soul reaper captain spoke with a kind, almost humble like attitude, but he was notorious for being charismatic. His words, most likely even now, hid some sort of ulterior motive.

How fitting it was for Sōsuke Aizen to keep his attitude even in the given circumstances. The man did not disappoint, Yhwach would admit, and he was hesitant to end their current exchange so that they may discuss his proposal.

Aizen was a man with a unique intellect. If not being manipulated by him, conversation could be quite beneficial to a person.

If not being manipulated by him…

They both sensed the Captain-Commander's Spiritual Pressure flourish as he rapidly moved across Soul Society. Aizen's iconic smile didn't fail as his one visible eye moved up to the dark ceiling as he reached out with his senses.

Yhwach currently did the same, though he wasn't looking for where the ancient man was going, but rather where he had been. "Seems he's eliminated one of my Stern Ritter, burned the flesh right off the man's bones."

"My condolences."

_You've had time to practice this fake sincerity, haven't you? _He was well aware of the habits that the imprisoned former Soul Reaper once or still held onto. In another life, the man could have been a magnificent actor.

"Nonsense, I have no doubt that Driscoll provoked him." Yhwach spoke dispassionately as he turned his eyes to the other male, "All it really does is remind me as to why I'm here, Sōsuke Aizen. There is an offer, of which we can both benefit from, that I wish to give."

"Oh?"

"You could continue to sit here, for an eternity possibly, but would that not be a waste of your abilities? Why not direct them once more against the Gotei Thirteen? I could free you, and you could join my ranks as a Special War Potential."

Aizen gave a small laugh. "That's quite an offer, and I'm honored, but I must decline at this time. I have found a certain beauty in observation… and foresight."

"Do you see an outcome?"

"Outcomes. It's still very up in the air at this time. Still, the many roads I can see are quite amusing."

_How many of them end well for you? _The Quincy then asked, "How many of them show him being a major player with how it concludes?"

Curiosity filled Aizen's lone visible orb. "'Him'…? I can only guess who you are talking about. Perhaps you refer to… Kurosaki?"

A nod in confirmation and the former captain spoke, "Nearly all… You're not the only one who has their gaze on him. I use to be one of those people before this."

"And if I influence him enough that his Quincy heritage dominates?"

"Well… That would be interesting to witness. But remember, regardless of what happens and regardless if you remove him from the equation, the Soul King will still act as he has planned. If he gets Ichigo, it will only increase his power, and speed up what is to come." Aizen closed his eye. "That… leads to some of the worse outcomes. He suffers greatly in these."

"Poor boy," Yhwach commented. "I suppose I should either help him, or make the decision to render him unable to participate in coming hostilities."

"Best of luck."

* * *

What an annoying side effect for a Bankai to have.

There was no doubt in Askin's mind that this had something to do with the fiery light show that had erupted from where the Captain-Commander currently was. The surge of power, the moisture in the air disappearing, all were indications that the ancient man had stepped up his game against 'Yhwach'.

That body double better hold his ground and pray that he wasn't subjected to the awesome power of the Gotei Thirteen leader. One mistake would be all that was needed to receive the reward of being cooked very well done much like Driscoll.

His stomach protesting, he recalled how he had moments earlier found what had remained of the Stern Ritter 'O', the smell reaching his noise before his eyes had laid eyes on the dead man. What a sight to see, odious and instantly repressed.

Melted fat, muscle, and pubic hair didn't mix together very well. Breathtaking after one finished emptying the contents of their stomachs.

A sick truth to muse over, but Askin had nothing better to do currently. He'd decided that he had done his part for this invasion. The captain who had been his opponent, a surprisingly polite man, was no longer in his proximity. A pursuit was simply out of the question, as it would require the unnecessary effort from the Stern Ritter 'D' that he was not willing to give at that time.

He'd done his part by dropping the few soul reapers who had chosen to engage him.

The soul reaper under his boot, a random grunt who was evidently still alive, began to squirm. With only a minor change in his strength, he broke the man's spine as if it were made of glass. These lower ranked Shinigami were just so surprisingly frail, but he didn't complain like the others as it this just worked in his favor.

Simply put, Askin Nakk Le Vaar despised battles that dragged on… and on. The other Stern Ritter wasted a lot of time with their opponents, while he would rather keep the process plain and simple. See opponent, kill opponent. It was an effective formula that yet to fail so far.

No unnecessary maiming, no unnecessary suffering. Everybody won...with the exception of the person who died.

…Irrelevant!

He reached up, touching his now dry throat. Eyes shifting in the direction of the First Division Barracks, he wondered what was taking Yhwach so long. It was a simple 'yes' or a 'no', but he had likely deviated from the proposal into a conversation with Aizen. Both of them were highly charismatic, so neither would pass up the opportunity to have idle chat.

The Stern Ritter 'D' was one of the few individuals in the Wandenreich who was aware of the emperor's true agenda. As a higher ranking Stern Ritter, it was his 'privilege' to be entrusted with such a delicate matter.

This honor would be welcomed with the best apathy he could give.

* * *

When her captain was silent, she would worry tremendously about him.

From time to time this silence would be broken by the young man's muttering, the action comforting Rangiku with the fact that he was still with her. She had piggy-backed him through numerous alleys strewed with Kami knows how many corpses, her destination being the General Emergency Relief Station of the Fourth Division.

Watching Tōshirō receive his beating, her efforts to intervene shrugged off so easily, made guilt weigh heavily on her mind. She had failed her superior, and after the invader had tossed him aside and disappeared suddenly, she had scrambled over to his body. Her prayers for him to still be alive had been answered, and she had promised herself that she would get him to the Fourth Division.

If he passed on… she… she would…

"Hyōrinmaru… Hyōrinmaru?"

His voice brought her out of the thoughts, and she picked up her pace to get him the medical attention that he desperately needed. When the building came into view, she gave silent thanks that she had not encountered any other invaders that might have been lurking in the area.

Nearing the entrance to the building, it became obvious that it was currently swarming with the numerous injured who had been fortunate to survive their wounds and make their way there. Matsumoto was considering how she would get the attention of a doctor when she suddenly felt her superior fully slump against her back.

Her eyes widen and she screamed for Tōshirō to hold on as she began to push her way through the crowd. Confused expressions turned to disbelief as they recognized the pair, making a gap for her to move through. At the end of it, two familiar faces awaited her.

The gazes of Isane Kotetsu and Retsu Unohana were only on her for a moment before switching over to the captain on her back. A medical gurney was brought forward, and she hastily lowered him down on it before they began to move towards a hallway.

"SHIRŌ!"

Rangiku caught sight of the Fifth Division Lieutenant rushing forward, her captain standing some feet behind her. She moved to intercept Momo before she could reach the medical cart, allowing Unohana and Isane to move Tōshirō into another room.

The voluptuous lieutenant held the smaller frantic Shinigami back, repeating "calm down" over and over despite there being no visible effect. Her efforts began to weaken, and she finally stopped her struggle. When she looked up into the eyes of Matsumoto, she received a smile of reassurance.

"He'll be alright, Momo."

Shinji, who had been standing the background, moved to join them. "Good to see you're still with us. We were on our way to assist with a battle when we ran into a few soul reapers who were near death." He frowned. "The Quincy that they had fought against had struck them down and moved on. I'm actually amazed some of them were still breathing."

"Yeah," Rangiku responded. "We… I saw only corpses on my way here. I can't believe they are causing this much destruction in such a short amount of time. Is the Captain-Commander still fighting the enemy's leader?"

Narrowing his eyes, Shinji said, "It's hard to tell, I can detect Yamamoto but when I try to look for his opponent, I get-"

The ancient man's Reiatsu suddenly vanished and their eyes shot upwards. They could almost feel their leader collapse to the ground, defeated by the powerful strike inflicted by the other individual. Utter horror filled them as they returned their gazes to each other.

"No…" Momo said with disbelief, breaking the silence. "…No, it can't be…"

Was this really happening?

Matsumoto felt her hands shake as pain came to her eyes. Mental questions plagued them all, their faces betraying the uncertainty that overtook them. Without the ancient man, their direction was lost. Another person would need to be chosen for the position… if they lived long enough to make such a designation.

Unohana returned, interrupting their thoughts despite her face telling them that she was just as shaken up from what they had sensed. She was silent as they all stared at her with anxiousness towards news regarding the status of Tōshirō.

"Is he…?"

"He'll be fine," she answered, causing them all to inwardly rejoice and breathe sighs of relief. "We were able to save him, but it was a close call. His condition is critical, but he's stabilized for now." Her gaze went downward. "At least there is one thing to rejoice over…"

Clearing his throat, confidence in his voice, Shinji spoke up, "We will survive. Yamamoto wouldn't have wanted us to carry on. I don't intend to let him down."

Perhaps it had said in the spur of the moment. News that Hitsugaya had survived had lifted their spirits somewhat. A light in an otherwise dark time that's outcome could not yet be determined. However, even if it had been said out of some temporary confidence, it still sounded genuine in their ears and brought reassurance.

For whatever it was worth, Rangiku would take it.

* * *

…Still alive.

Thin, burned to a significant degree, but still retaining its pale tone, his arm extended out so that his fingers could feel the cool sensation of the pavement.

After tasting the flames of the ancient leader of the Gotei Thirteen, a person would expect Äs Nödt to feel shame, regret, or another negative response for his possibly fatal error. To him it didn't register as such, the mistake he decided upon being that he, along with two others, had been a bit too eager.

He'd traveled to the threshold of death, his senses now in ecstasy as he felt more alive than ever. Hard to describe if asked, but in his eyes the world was the most appealing when influenced by the dark and morbid.

Fear, death, pain… things like that which held a place on a twisted list that he mentally kept. He arose from the floor, shakily standing on his feet to gaze upon the ruins of the Quincy uniform on his body. Much of his torso had been exposed and with it two sets of ribs that reflected his sickly physique.

…Still alive.

A devotion to fear brought with it an association to death. Thus there was a corpse like appearance that would incite nightmarish thoughts. He was much a fallen angel when compared to the others.

And he preferred it this way.

There came an order from the leader of the Stern Ritter, signified by the sensation that was associated with the communication method. It was like a mess of letters in his head had unscrambled and taken a form that he could distinguish a meaning from.

_Yhwach has defeated the Captain-Commander. Allow the Soldat to come forward…_

Äs Nödt crouched down, and placed his hand on stone under him.

"Advance, Soldat."

His shadow expanded, allowing multiple forms to emerge. Gas masked figures, numerous and intimidating as they began to surge wave of white uniforms. He knew they would find those who had evaded the initial slaughter by the Quincy Elite. Elsewhere, the others would be adding their own additions to the soon to be horde.

The black mask on his face hid his dark smile. How long had their kind been waiting for this opportunity? They would inflict a holocaust much like the one the Shinigami had carried out on them, and they too would know what it was like to know the horror of extermination.

_Find them, little moths. Find them all and kill them as his Majesty wishes… As they deserve…_

* * *

Later on, when the bodies of the deceased were laid out in rows so that stony faced clerks tasked with the morbid duty of counting and identifying, Captain Shunsui Kyōraku's would be near indistinguishable from the others.

Maybe it was the state of his iconic kimono, the flowery patterns soaked in a large amount of his blood that only the very observant would be able to see its original detail. Part of his face had been caved in, so it was possible that his body was given a quick glance over and no immediate identification could be made.

Coincidentally, one row down and five bodies over to the left, one would find the corpse of Izuru Kira. He too suffered the same fate as the Eighth Division Captain, receiving only a momentarily look that failed to place his name onto a list.

Turning back the clock would reveal Shunsui, crying out in alarm upon the moment the Captain-Commander was slain by Yhwach, allowing his opponent to easily gun him down. The bespectacled Stern Ritter, his spirit pistol facing downward, and digital like wings sprouting from his back, would approach and stand over the soul reaper.

With satisfaction, he would speak to the mortally wounded Shunsui, "I told you… your leader would fall before ours."

The end would come a moment later, after a slight raise in the pistol's direction and the sound of a single shot ringing out into the nearby area.

There hadn't been any regrets in the mind of the soul reaper, rather just a small apology to his lieutenant of how he had left her with much to do in the coming days. Hopefully she forgave him, and focused her efforts on assisting the Gotei Thirteen in recovering from this massacre.

He'd join Yamamoto in death, the man who had served as a father figure to him and one other. With him being gone, the responsibilities and pressures associated with leading the Gotei Thirteen would fall upon the shoulders of another.

As reluctant as this person would be in taking up the mantle, he did so in honor of their memory.

* * *

It was raining…

For Rukia, there had been a temporary peace of mind when she had first opened her eyes to look at the clouded sky above. Her thought still gathered even though the background desolation of Soul Society was still very much apparent.

Then clarity had finally impacted, and when it did, it impacted hard.

_Byakuya!_

After that the panic from before had returned, and she had set off in the last direction she had detected her brother-in-law to be with the hope that she was not too late. While she had been unconscious, the situation truly had grown worse.

The destruction happening around her was near apocalyptic in scale. Buildings collapsed as the now numerous invaders continued to bring ruin to everything in their path. Masses of gas masked faces passed by on occasion, fortunately missing the female Kuchiki's presence.

For the sky to rip open then and there would only further along the belief that Ragnarök was upon the Gotei Thirteen.

Attempts to reach out and sense the Captain of the Sixth Division yielded nothing, but Rukia had yet to give up her efforts. Until she beheld him with her own eyes, she would continue to hold onto the assumption that he was still alive.

Despite the factors that indicated otherwise…

Eventually, after traversing through the shattered alleys and various pieces of rubble that had most likely buried gruesome scenes, she reached the area where Byakuya and Renji had done battle with one of the invading Quincy.

Blood, the owner unknown, had long mixed into the water that collected in dark puddles. There was a certain surreal element to these pools that Rukia would look into and see her diluted reflection. However, they were all but forgotten when she finally spotted her brother-in-law pressed into a wall some distance away.

She ran forward, pausing in front of his still body before her shaky hands reached to grab onto his Shinigami robes. "B-brother…?"

When this brought no response, she turned her face upward and swallowed the heavy lump that had been lingering in her throat. She had not seen him this wounded since he had fought Ichigo just before Aizen had revealed his status as a traitor.

His flesh felt cold as she brushed her fingers against his cheek.

"P-please… Byakuya… Say something…" Burying her face in his chest while tightening her grip on his clothing, she allowed the tears that had had been barely contained until then to come forward. "Please brother… Say something… You have to… have to be…"

Had she really expected to find Byakuya in good health and waiting for her? She let out a sob as she once more repeated her plea that begged him to 'wake up', admitting that she had been holding onto an unrealistic notion.

_Renji! Brother!_

She felt alone then as the… _nightmare_ no longer felt like something that could be awaken from at any moment. There was only the hard reality that she had lost two people that she had deeply cared about. Yes, she had been painfully aware of the disappearance of Renji's spiritual pressure, but when Byakuya's had followed soon after, she had taken on a mental denial that at least one of them was still breathing.

With another sob, she-

"Rukia… This behavior is unbecoming for a Kuchiki."

Her face quickly rose to look into the half-lidded eyes of her brother-in-law. He blinked heavily with pain, letting out a cough that caused his entire body to shake against her.

"Brother… You're still with me."

"I hold on even though there is… great shame within me for…" Byakuya shuddered as he steadily allowed more air to enter is lungs. "He wanted me to tell you his apology, but… I am the one who needs to make it. I'm sorry, Rukia… for failing you, and failing Renji…"

With sadness, she shook her head slowly. "You didn't fail anyone, brother. You did what you could… What anyone could do. I only wish I had arrived sooner."

They were both fairly soaked by that point, the rain having washed away some of the blood on the exposed skin of the male Kuchiki. A gentle pitter-patter continued on as Rukia rested against Byakuya after he had gone quiet.

"Should we move, brother? To remain out here could be dangerous."

He slowly raised his arms to pull her closer in a reassuring embrace. "When the storm… passes…"

Was he referring to the invaders, or the actual weather? Admittedly, she didn't much care the meaning. He was still with her, to remain an upstanding example of proper etiquette and scold her for not being one. She buried her face deeper into his chest to take in what little warmth he did give off.

They may have been reunited, but Renji was still gone. The truth harassed her even then.

Before more lament filled thoughts could appear, she felt a strong spiritual pressure suddenly arrive in Soul Society. It disappeared in the next moment, replaced by a familiar person standing near them. She turned her head, saying her friend's name in surprise.

"Ichigo!"

* * *

"This Reiatsu is…"

"Yeah, it's Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Shall I eliminate it?"

"No… We're leaving."

Was there time for this? He hadn't wished for his encounter with Ichigo to happen so soon, but perhaps it could be avoided if they left now. At least, this had been his thought process before a Zanpakutō had impacted the ground in front of them.

Kurosaki appeared a moment later, pulling his sword out of the pavement. Was he upset over the Captain-Commander's death, or had he discovered some other grim detail upon his arrival to Soul Society. Though, it could have just as easily been numerous factors.

Yhwach frowned, and let out a sigh of exasperation. The sensitive matter that was Ichigo Kurosaki could no longer be handled in a careful manner. "You bastard…"

They eyed each other, the rain storm continuing on in the background. At the Quincy Emperor's side, Haschwalth began to move forward. "Your Majesty… Here we-"

Halting his blonde subordinate by extending his arm, he spoke, "Ichigo Kurosaki, I don't know how you did it, but I applaud you for escaping Quilge's jail. However, do you plan to fight with your body in that tattered state?"

Placing his hands onto his hips, he then began to look for a change in the teenager's posture. No matter how small a shift, such a display it would indicate if combat with the boy would be necessary. Something he truthfully wanted to avoid at that time.

_Are you thinking rationally, Kurosaki?_

"Are you… the enemy's leader?"

What he had been watching for took the form of the younger male tensing his shoulders. Negotiations were going to break down very soon. A pity, but at least this would spare him from the painful future that Aizen had spoken of.

Yhwach regarded him for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. "Enemy, huh…" He considered how to answer, deciding that anything he said would most likely incite a chain of rage filled decisions. "Yes… and no."

"Don't… fuck… with… me."

Though he didn't look up, he could feel him seething with anger.

"I'M ASKING IF YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TURNED SOUL SOCIETY INTO THIS!"

Yhwach met Ichigo's gaze, his own expression turning serious as he watched the façade of the Substitute Shinigami finally crack. Haschwalth had long prepared himself for the coming struggle, having moved away some distance.

_So be it…_

"Indeed I am."

Soul Society's hero flared his spiritual pressure, the reishi becoming visible as it filled the air around him. Oh yes, he was definitely going to be irrational and his mind was most likely already dead set on killing the Quincy Emperor.

Well, 'kill' was a light way of putting it. Judging by the visible rage that came off of the boy, Yhwach knew it was more accurate to use 'murder'.

_You are worthy of your place as a Special War Potential, Kurosaki._

"…Your Majesty…"

He interrupted the head of the Stern Ritter, saying, "As you can see Haschwalth, there is no other option now… Let's crush him."

Ichigo acted first, surging towards them in a motion that left reishi in its wake. By the way he brought his sword back, it was clear that he was going to unleash the technique that had long been listed in the Daten as his signature.

Needless to say, both Yhwach and Haschwalth were well prepared when the teenager practically screamed out at them, "_Getsuga Tenshō_!"

_Why must you be so reckless?_

Where they had been standing was utterly decimated by the explosive energy from the impact. Suddenly emerging from the smoke that had been left in the aftermath, Yhwach quickly grabbed hold of Ichigo's sword arm.

In his haste, the Soul Reaper had left himself wide open and allowed the Quincy leader the opportunity to slam him downward. Were he some normal human being, the force behind the blow would have snapped his spine and most likely his body in half. A tremendous amount of damage was still inflicted upon the teenager, but it was not enough to stop him from lashing back with his hand.

Quickly intercepting the attack with his wrist, Yhwach brought out his sword with his opposite arm and rose in preparation to strike. Consternation entered Ichigo's eyes as he realized he was about to face the consequences of his rash decisions.

The Quincy Emperor grinned. _It's over, Kurosaki. _

His sword entered the teenager's throat, pushing him back down and causing his struggles to cease. Water droplets fell from his face onto the male beneath him, and he rose to his feet while still looking into the boy's wide eyes.

Several feet away from them, Haschwalth approached after having made the decision not to interfere with his leader's fight.

"He's still breathing." The chest of the Soul Reaper continued to rise and fall in a steady rhythm, and Yhwach released his hold on his sword. "Transport him to the castle… We can resurrect him so that he may join us…"

"Understood."

Something felt off as his liaison moved to follow the order. Yhwach looked once more at his fallen opponent, receiving a very much 'I'm-still-alive-and-going-to-kick-your-ass' glare from Ichigo Kuorsaki. In the seconds that came before retaliation, he was able to conclude why this was.

On the teenager's neck, around the edges of the sword, were the distinct dark markings from a technique that was very exclusive to Quincy kind. The Wandenreich leader was engulfed a moment later by the tremendous energies of a point blank strike from Getsuga Tenshō.

_Impossible… He used… Blut Vene!_

* * *

He had thought it was over.

The end… completed… finished…

When the sword of his opponent had risen up so that it could descend into his throat, Ichigo had realized that he had made a grave mistake by charging into the fight with his emotions unchecked. After arriving in Soul Society, free of that damnable cage, he had quickly found the spiritual pressures of Byakuya and Rukia in order to move to their location.

Was he mistaken in his decision to converse with them?

_I failed… I… I'm not the hero they wanted me to be…_

Renji's death had caused a breakdown to spark within him.

It hadn't been immediate, slowly creeping in under a growing numbness. Igniting into a passionate rage, it had left his mind dominated by irrational thoughts and actions. To further the pain, he had listened as Byakuya had asked him to protect Soul Society.

_…Protect Soul Society… I'll… protect them…_

He couldn't make that promise. Not after his inability to save Renji, and possibly others whose fates he had yet to discover. Now there was only one door he could take, and that was facing the man responsible for all this destruction and death in single combat. Winning would be redemption, and to once more find failure would be release from his burdens.

Yes, he wasn't thinking straight. Had he been in the company of others, they would have argued with his logic. But for him, it was as if everything had suddenly been made clear. He knew what had to be done.

Had he been thinking clearly, he would have questioned how he had found the Quincy leader so easily. The confrontation had quickly turned violent, and due to the sloppiness of his combat decisions, Ichigo had easily been taken down by his enemy.

The man's blade had made contact with his neck, but instead of finding death from an expected fatal blow, he would remain unharmed. Quickly seizing the opportunity, he had struck back at the man standing over him.

Unleashing Getsuga Tenshō at that close of a range should have disintegrated the Quincy, but as he despite his hopes, the man had endured through the attack.

A testament to his strength, the other male had only suffered minimal damage.

Now there was distance between them, and Ichigo got to his feet while his opponent corrected his posture.

"…it was my mistake," he heard him say, the smoke still clearing.

"You're calling it a mistake, just because I endured through one of your attacks?"

"No, not that."

Motionless for a brief moment, the Quincy's form blurred as he disappeared from view. A split second later he reappeared at the soul reaper's side, his sword moving in a vertical swing. Bringing up his own weapon to defend himself, Ichigo struggled under the force of the attack and used his for arm as a brace. His blade was pushed back, tearing up his robe at that section of his limb.

As quick as his opponent had been to attack him, he immediately retreated away so that they were apart once more. "…So that was really what I saw…"

Confused, but still on guard, he asked, "What are you talking about?"

"It was a mistake on my part to send a pure Quincy to stop you…. It would have been better to send an Arrancar or something, but thanks to that the memories within your Reiatsu have awakened sooner than I would have liked."

When he spoke to Ichigo, his opponent talked as if he was making a conclusion to himself rather than informing the orange haired teenager. "Quilge's jail was meant to seal enemies… but it cannot contain a Quincy."

The words began to register, and he gathered a single strong meaning.

Prompted by his thoughts, he asked, "Are you saying… I'm a Quincy?"

This returned the man's attention upon him, and he firmly answered with, "I see, you know nothing about yourself… or even your own mother."

_What are you…?_

"I had wanted to spare you from the pain Ichigo, to keep you away from all this. Bring you back, and slowly re-educate you so that wouldn't suffer in the future."

The Quincy brought out his sword once again, advancing with a walking pace. "However, it seems things will not go that smoothly."

This man was refusing to give him a clear answer that involved his mother. When his deceased parent was involved, that was when Ichigo would listen, no matter the speaker.

"I'M ASKING YOU WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"I've reached a decision on what must be done, Kurosaki."

The gap between them vanished as his opponent surged forward and delivered a swing of his sword that Ichigo struggled to protect himself against. Staying in close proximity would be his undoing, and he quickly moved back so he could assess what needed to be done.

Another advance from the Quincy interrupted his thinking and once more tested the amount of force his arms could withstand. He tried unsuccessfully to push the man off of him as their blades interlocked, soon stumbling backward as the taller male pressed forward.

There was barely enough time for him to block again as he moved to hit from the strike from his side. Instead of being stuck in a grapple once more, his hands were suddenly empty as the Quincy disarmed with a quick motion of his blade.

Fingers gripped his hair, and it took him a moment to register the steel that had just entered his body. He felt dizzy, and slowly looked down to see where the metal of the blade protruded. His opponent slowly slid it forward, extending the damage to a tear in his back.

Then he pulled away, removing his sword and allowing Ichigo to fall to his knees. He looked up at the Quincy, his eyes becoming glass.

How many times had he been here before?

"I unleashed my power… Blut Vene was not able to defend against it."

As he continued to bleed freely, he dimly noticed that the blonde male had approached. "The time limit has been reached, your Majesty. We can no longer operate outside the 'Schatten Bereich' area… Please allow us to return to the Wandenreich."

"Impossible. There should be a little bit more time… unless…" His opponent spoke with a realization, "Ah, this must be Aizen's doing. He must have disrupted my senses during our talk… Alright, let us go."

"Shall I take him with us? He'll most certainly die if we leave him, your Majesty."

Slumping onto his side, the wet pavement meeting his face, Ichigo saw through the brief focus of his blurred vision the Quincy leader gazing softly at him. His image became distorted, and just like earlier when he had looked into the dark orbs of his enemy, he was reminded of another.

He muttered three words as he was pulled under.

"Old Man… Zangetsu…"

* * *

"Retrieve his sword, Haschwalth."

Yhwach approached, shifting the teenager onto his back and hooking his arm under his legs so that he could be picked up in a bridal carry.

Perhaps it would have been better to leave him to die then and there, as he had initially planned. It would have spared him from the painful road that was without a doubt ahead of him, but a part of the elder Quincy had spoken, saying that despite the corruption of the Shinigami, he was still one of his people.

And that was enough for him.

The black doorway that led back to the domain of the Quincy opened before them, and he advanced towards it with his second-in-command at his side. Jugram held the weapon of the Substitute Shinigami, his face betraying none of his inner thoughts.

His eyes shifted onto the unconscious Ichigo as they left Soul Society.

_Rest now, my son… born in the dark…_

* * *

_My apologies for not having this out sooner. I took a rest over the holidays, and was too distracted to get any real writing done. Anyway, I had planned to have this out yesterday, but with how large of a chapter it was, there was a hell of a lot of revision that needed to be done. There probably is more, but I am happy with what I created. I had considered to split this into two chapters, but it is a pivotal part of the story that I decided otherwise._

_I feel that my Yhwach might be now very different from Kubo's, but I have written him as I have perceived him. When the chapters of "The Dark Moon Stroke", and "Born in the Dark" first came out, I was very excited at a prospect that we would break away from the typical... "Ichigo gets stronger" story line. Then he had to go and get stuck at the Soul Palace... Oh well..._

_Now, regarding the Stern Ritter with glasses, you know, the one that looks like Commissioner Gordon? Kubo has yet to give his name, and I will be making one up for him. There are several possibilities as to why his name has not yet been given, one being that maybe he is related to the one of the other Stern Ritter, and we'll find out about it later. I am going to go with the road that he is a member of the Ishida family. (Give Uryū his mustache! They look alike then! Hurr hurr hurr *slap*) This may not be the case, but I want to go this way._

_With that in mind, I plan to have more focus on Uryū in coming chapters. Kubo likes to put him in a corner, but I believed this only missed many opportunities to explore his own involvement in the final arc. Could the flashback not have been summed up in one to two big chapters?**  
**_

_My thanks to those who follow this story. One of them being Miss Kala-K, who is an artist I know from Deviant Art. She is quite talented, and if you have the time, you should go check out her work. She has created several Dōjinshi pieces that are very well done. I warn you though, she supports Uryu-Orhime, and perhaps has made me a fan of the pairing as well... Wink wink._

_Bunny153539, your constant support is much appreciated._

_Until next time._

_Oh, and to DarknessOfKeyBlades, Happy Late New Years. I had intended to respond, but got distracted. Sorry._


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